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Correspondence from Jerusalem
Ehud Barak, former Israeli prime minister, granted Jurnalul National an interview to journalists traveling to Tel Aviv.
Ehud Barak on the Post-Sharon Era
Correspondence from Jerusalem
Ehud Barak, former Israeli prime minister, granted Jurnalul National an interview to journalists traveling to Tel Aviv. Attila Sompfalvi, a young Romanian-born Israeli political analyst, helped us getting access to Barak. After a thorough security check, the team of journalists from Jurnalul National and Antena 1 television station finally set down with Barak, for the interview.
Jurnalul National: Amier Peretz, leader of the Labor Party, stated recently that you should be part of his ranks. Rumors have it that Kadima sthe party founded by Ariel Sharon two months ago, edit. notet also would like to have you as a member. Which will you chose?
Ehud Barak: I want to make it clear when speaking of Peretz that if he considers cooperating with me then he should design a framework to that end. When speaking of Kadima, please note that its political platform is very similar to mine, the one I proposed the nation five years ago. One thing is certain: I am a member of the Labor Party.
JN: If Kadima will give you the third place on their ticket, in the next elections, would you still not be tempted to join them?
EB: I never answer hypothetical questions. You will be able to ask the party, once they would place such an offer â¦
JN: You recently stated that Ehud Olmert sthe current acting PM of Israel and likely leader of the Kadima party - ed. Notet could make a very good leader for Israel...
EB: To make it clear: I said Olmert is a man of great experience, who held various extremely important ministerial seats and was the mayor of Jerusalem for the past 10 years. Hence he has all the ingredients to be good and turn even better if acceding to party leadership. If not, he will last half a mandate or even less. If political bickering starts in Kadima the party is likely to break up.
JN: Sharon won when he ran opposite you in elections. The fact turned you into friends of foes?
EB: We go back a long time: 43 years. I was a young officer when we first met. So it happened that later on we became political adversaries. I was very critical of some issues, particularly corruption scandals sSharonâs party was dragged into, trans. notet, and this cooled down a bit our relationship. But, you know, we are like one big family in Israel, so relationships tested during the hard-times of armed fighting cannot die out so easily.
JN: Which do you thing is the legacy Sharon leaves Israel?
EB: First and foremost, he was truly devoted to the nation; he loved his motherland and strived for its future. Also notable is the pragmatism that led him to adopt, in the past two years, decisions which reversed his previous decisions. I believe he set an example for generations to come. And Sharon-the-fighter was one of the best the army had.
JN: Could Olmert become a better leader than Sharon with respect to solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
EB: Itâs not easy to be compared with Sharon. Only time will give the answer to your question. It rests to be seen if Olmert will won the elections. I know Olmert for 20 years and tend to believe that he has potential to become a great leader of Israel. But I do not know if he would accomplish that. So far, he is not even the leader of the party he is a member of.
JN: One month from now, where would you be? In the Labor Party or in Kadima?
EB: slaughst In this office! Come back in one month and look for me right here! sThe office Barak granted us the interview in was not a party office; ed. notet
Translated by ANCA PADURARU
