Harder to elect Barak than it was Clinton

AP 5/17/99: "It was harder to get Israel's most decorated soldier elected its prime minister than it was to put Bill Clinton into the White House -- despite Gennifer Flowers, pot and the draft.

That's one of the conclusions drawn by former Clinton campaign strategists who helped Israeli opposition leader Ehud Barak -- branded the underdog only weeks ago -- unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel's first landslide win in two decades.

Their formula: avoiding personal attacks on Netanyahu and persuading voters that the economy does matter, even in security-minded Israel.

Pollster Stanley Greenberg and TV adman Robert Shrum said Wednesday that when they first came to Israel in December to help run the Barak campaign, they encountered a wall of stereotypes and pessimism by Barak's Israeli advisers in the Labor Party.

Along with Clinton strategist James Carville, they were told that Netanyahu was a media magician, unbeatable on television. The conventional wisdom was that security was the only issue that mattered to Israeli voters and that Labor couldn't lure Russian voters and Sephardic Jews, those of Middle Eastern descent, away from Netanyahu.

However, Barak, a former army chief who planned his campaign like a general mobilizing for war, was ready to try a new approach. ``When we talked to him, he said he wanted to run on the economy and on education, and not just security,'' Shrum said.

Greenberg's ``data said that that would work, and everybody else said it would never work. And Ehud said, `Fine, move ahead.'''

Barak is not the first Israeli politician to seek campaign help from outside professionals. Netanyahu has twice relied on the elusive Arthur Finkelstein, adviser to Republican politicians including North Carolina Sen. Jesse Helms and former New York senator, Alfonse D'Amato.

However, Barak's astounding victory -- 56 percent to Netanyahu's 44 percent, a landslide in Israeli terms -- will likely make hiring high-priced American advisers de rigeur for any future contender.

Shrum said that with the right advice, Shimon Peres, who lost to Netanyahu by less than 1 percent in 1996, probably could have won. Peres should have responded more decisively to his challenger's devastating charges that he was endangering Israel's security with the land-for-peace agreements with the Palestinians, Shrum said.

Asked to compare Clinton's campaign in 1992 and Barak's in 1999, Greenberg said that his Israeli job was tougher, notwithstanding the allegations about infidelity, draft evasion and pot-smoking the Arkansas governor battled seven years ago...

The low point came early, in mid-February, when Labor presented its candidates for parliament on live TV. One delegate, an Ethiopian immigrant who didn't make the cut, climbed on stage and berated a dumbfounded Barak, saying he was a racist. ``I thought it was the worst day I had ever seen in politics,'' Greenberg said. ``I was sure our numbers were going to plummet.''

However, Barak survived and methodically set out to shape the agenda of the campaign. ``Ehud had more plans than there were problems. I don't think there was a contingency he hadn't thought of,'' Shrum said. Netanyahu, who had won in 1996 by playing up terror attacks by Islamic militants, tried to engage Barak on security, but Barak stuck to his own course.

A key weapon became what Shrum called ``the bio,'' a TV campaign ad repeated almost daily in the three-week period during which candidates were permitted to run such commercials. The clip showed Barak as a war hero who repeatedly risked his life for Israel's security, including in daring hostage rescue missions.

Once the American team had established the candidate as a man who could be trusted with Israel's security, it was possible to move on to education and the economy, consensus issues that have played a minor role in Israeli campaigns until now.

The Americans left nothing to chance. Every day, they tested new ads and ideas on focus groups. The center of activity was the ``war room,'' the third floor of a nondescript Tel Aviv office building where researchers monitored the news around the clock and strategists plotted quick responses to Netanyahu's every move..."

Har Homa goes on says Moskowitz

ARUTZ7 5/18/99: "Dr. Irving L. Moskowitz announced today the next stage of construction at Ma'aleh Hazeitim, his 132-unit housing and community development project at Ras El Amoud, adjoining Jerusalem's Mt. of Olives burial ground.

The philanthropist told Arutz-7 correspondent Yedidya Atlas that the 16-dunam (4-acre) development, on which ground was broken last October, will include a shopping center, synagogue, and kindergarten. He characterized Ma'aleh Hazeitim as "in complete harmony with the concept of an eternally united Jerusalem under exclusive Jewish sovereignty - an idea endorsed by all Jewish political parties as well as Prime Minister-elect Ehud Barak...

It completes the geographical contiguity of the Jewish presence in Jerusalem without in any way impinging on the civil or property rights of the city's Arab community."

Moskowitz noted that all the legal requirements for the continuation of construction were met long ago.

"Under the circumstances," he said, "we anticipate that the government, the Jerusalem municipality and the law enforcement authorities will exercise whatever efforts may be required to ensure the security of this project. We look forward to the full cooperation of all concerned." Peace Now has asked Ehud Barak to act to freeze all construction at the site at once."

Coalition talks

ARUTZ7 5/19/99: "On Sunday, Prime Minister-elect Ehud Barak and his colleagues will commence coalition negotiations. The Israeli political scene is rife with speculation as to whether Barak will prefer Shas or the Likud as his central coalition partner.

Yesterday, Barak welcomed Shas leader Arye Deri's announcement that he will not serve in the upcoming Knesset, nor will he conduct any of the coalition negotiations.

Barak added, however, that a situation in which Deri would conduct negotiations "behind the scenes" is unacceptable. Senior Labor party MKs are already publicly making a bid for ministry portfolios.

MK Avraham Burg would like either the Education or Communications ministry; Oslo architect MK Yossi Beilin has his eyes set on being Foreign Minister; MK Shlomo Ben-Ami is bidding for the same job, but has indicated that he would be satisfied with the Finance Ministry; MK Chaim Ramon says that either the Finance or Justice Ministry would suit him.

For his part, Barak has not yet made any clear promises regarding such appointments."

Deri AND Begin resign

ARUTZ7 5/19/99: "MK and Shas Party leader Arye Deri resigned from the Knesset last night. Deri, who was convicted of bribery and is currently appealing the ruling, said that he will continue to serve as party chairman, but will limit his activity to the party's institutions and social projects.

In a surprise move, National Unity Party leader Dr. Benny Begin has announced his resignation from both the Knesset and the party. Begin explained that he represents a specific approach which is a combination of two agendas: the territorial integrity of the Land of Israel, along with a liberal social platform including advancing the rights of the Arabs and other minorities.

"Many of those who understand that one cannot divide between the right to security and the right to our land, are not partners with me in the second part of my platform - a liberal social agenda... I am a leader with no following. Thus I have decided to discontinue my service in the public realm."

Voice of Israel report 'totally out context'

ARUTZ7 5/19/99: "Voice of Israel military correspondent Carmela Menashe reported this morning that in a closed forum of IDF officers, Paratrooper and Golani Brigade commanders called for a withdrawal of troops from Lebanon. The report became the central subject of today's radio newsmagazines.

Talking with Arutz-7 this morning, Lieut.-Col. (res.) Moshe Hagar said that the commanders' words were not only taken totally out of context, but completely reversed by Menashe.

"In fact," said Lieut.-Col Hagar, "not one officer in attendance called for a withdrawal from Lebanon. They criticized current Israeli strategy in Lebanon saying that it is 'insufficient,' and called for an intensification of IDF activity in the region. The commanders further stated that if the necessary steps are not taken to increase IDF operations in Lebanon, then, given the existing framework, a withdrawal might as well be considered."

Within the last week, the Israel army succeeded in eliminating 8 terrorists in Lebanon."

Hanegbi regrets comments about Barak

ARUTZ7 5/19/99: "Outgoing Justice Minister Tzachi Hanegbi regrets his comments about Ehud Barak regarding the latter's involvement - or lack thereof - in the Tse'elim Bet military training accident.

Hangebi said today that he should have admitted that Barak had been exonerated by the recently-released State Comptroller's report on the tragedy.

Hanegbi added, "We were in the middle of an election campaign, and I was not sure how to respond to the findings. Saying 'I'm sorry' for my behavior in the whole episode is even insufficient. I should have been more sensitive to false accusations and baseless rumors."

Likud leadership question

ARUTZ7 5/19/99: "Bids for the Likud leadership have begun. Senior Likud MKs and ministers have decided that outgoing Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon will be taking over temporarily, enabling the likely candidates for the permanent leadership to prepare their campaigns.

Among the candidates are Finance Minister Meir Shetreet, who has already expressed his desire to compete and Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert. Centrist party founders Dan Meridor and Roni Milo may be "returning home" to the Likud in light of Netanyahu's resignation.

In a conversation with reporters yesterday, Milo did not deny that he may consider this move, while Meridor has been in contact with Communications Minister Limor Livnat and Ehud Olmert to discuss the possibility.

Yitzchak Mordechai's Centrist party captured only 6 seats in the elections, a disappointing figure considering the prediction of 12-15 seats several months ago."

Hareidi soldiers graduate from combat training

THE JERUSALEM POST 5/20/99: "The IDF's first haredi Nahal unit in over a generation graduated its four-month-long basic combat training yesterday in a ceremony atop the Herodion fortress, which defense officials said symbolized a "bridge of unity" between the religious and secular.

Proudly standing amid the ancient Judean Desert ruins, the 28 young men, some with side curls and tzitzit (fringes) dangling in the wind, each received the light green beret of the Nahal corps as their haredi families and fellow yeshiva dropouts cheered and clapped. Some appeared too young to shave and some had cut off their sidecurls.

"They are breaking open the way for the haredi community to take part in the defense of the state," said Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yehuda Duvdevani, head of the Youth, Nahal and National Mission branch of the Defense Ministry, who pushed through the program.

"Those who are learning should continue to learn. But those who aren't have a duty to join the army," he said, adding that he expects to draft more than 60 in the August draft and by the year 2000 to have a whole battalion of haredi soldiers in Nahal.