Why he's not Prime Minister
Ehud Barak retired from the IDF on January 1, 1995. In those days, Israel had no 'cooling off' period upon leaving the IDF, and Barak joined the political arena and enjoyed a meteoric rise to power. He was named Interior Minister almost immediately and was elected Prime Minister in May 1999. But his fall was even quicker - by February 2001 he had been forced out of public life, and he did not return until he won the chairmanship of the Labor party from Amir Peretz and Ami Ayalon in June 2007. Barak became defense minister soon after that election, and he has remained defense minister in the Netanyahu government.Over the last few days, we're getting more and more stories in the media that claim that President Obama is going to
Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Tuesday that the United States would present a Middle East peace plan within weeks and that Israel should accept it.The idea that Obama is going to present a plan is apparently not idle talk.
"In the coming weeks, their plan will be formulated and presented to the parties," Barak said, according to a spokesman for Israel's parliament who briefed reporters on the defense chief's remarks to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
"I believe that Israel must take the lead in accepting the plan," Barak was quoted as saying.
Asked at a daily briefing in Washington on Monday when a peace plan might be announced by Mitchell, U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said: "I think it will be in a matter of weeks."When he was Prime Minister from 1999 to 2001, Barak automatically accepted any 'peace plan' proposed by then-President Bill Clinton. That was one of the reasons for his downfall (the main reason for his downfall was his weak response to the 'Palestinians' starting the Oslo Terror War in September 2000). Fortunately for Israel, Yasser Arafat didn't accept any of Clinton's 'peace plans.' Any of those plans could - God forbid - have brought about the State of Israel's demise. Barak was ousted as Prime Minister in a special election in February 2001.
Barak has learned nothing from his experience. Let's hope Abu Mazen hasn't learned anything from his and Arafat's experience either.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:25 PM
4 Comments:
I commented on this story in JPost noting that it was insane for Barak to endorse an American plan which has not even been released.
On Israpundit, Ted Belman argues that it is highly unlikely Barak would have made his statement without already knowing what is contained in the plan.
I'm inclined to agree, particularly since Netanyahu has been silent on Barak's loose-lipped remark.
Given Obama's fixation on the Saudi plan and Israel's warm reception of the same ("as a starting point"), I fear this is where we're headed.
Carl - the Labor Party is in such poor shape that if elections were held today, it would lose a seat. Israel's once great ruling party is dying. And no one in Israel will miss it.
why bother ??
Palis can´t give up the "right of return" so any piece plan is doomed.
no worry....
Chrysler 300M said...
why bother ??
Palis can´t give up the "right of return" so any piece plan is doomed.
no worry....
What makes you think that won't be in the Obama plan?
It wouldn't surprise me if the plan said, Israel agrees to give up all land and leave the middle east forthwith. Peace throughout the land.
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