Shalom Kital. Disagreement?
צילום: יוני המנחם
Barak's media advisor to resign due to disagreements
Shalom Kital, Defense minister's media advisor, unofficial chief of bureau, said to resign due to difference of opinions, rumored contact between Barak, former bureau chief
Shalom Kital, Defense Minister Ehud Barak's media advisor, has resigned from his post, the Defense Ministry announced Monday.
Kital, who served in his post for one year, also directed the Labor party campaign during the 2009 election.
Kital's decision apparently stemmed from disagreements regarding the decision making process in Barak's office, as well as the ministry's conduct.
The media advisor was to be officially appointed as chief of Barak's bureau, but the process was delayed due to technical problems.
While discussing the working relations within the office, Barak and Kital concluded that the difference of opinions between the two vis-à-vis office conduct was far too significant, and will not yield proper working relations.
Tensions between Barak and Defense Ministry Director-General Pinchas Bucharis were also reported recently, leading to speculations that Bucharis may quit his post as well.
Rumors within the political echelon suggested that recent contacts between Barak and his former bureau chief, Yoni Koren, angered Kital.
However, Koren claimed no working arrangements were made between the two.
Kital, who left his post as the CEO of Channel 2, was appointed in November 2008 as the Labor's campaign manager, in a move aimed at strengthening the party ahead of elections.
Kital was appointed to his post by the Labor party chairman, and following the elections he served as the Defense Minister's media advisor and bureau chief.
Back then, Kital explained his decision to cross over from the communications world into politics, saying that "(Ehud Barak) is a decent man, and so I went for it. Obviously I do not rule out other opportunities or different candidates, but I wouldn't have agreed to every offer."
Kital promised at the time to "do everything in my power to make Ehud Barak's message direct and clear, so that the media judges him with utmost fairness."
