Israel's Barak quits politics in surprise move
Source: Agencies |
November 27, 2012, Tuesday
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Print Edition
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ISRAELI Defense Minister Ehud Barak, a leading strategist in confronting Iran over its nuclear program, said in a surprise announcement yesterday he would quit political life after the January 22 national election.
Some commentators speculated Barak was trying to duck a trouncing for his tiny party in the ballot, after which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who heads the front-running, right-wing Likud, might return him to defense and military headquarters as a professional appointee.
But others said 70-year-old Barak, who has served as prime minister, may have had enough of campaigning and wanted to focus on resolving the Iranian issue before leaving his post.
"I stand before you to share my decision to resign from political life and not to run in the coming election for the Knesset," Barak said, adding he would stay on as defense chief until a new administration is sworn in.
Speaking five days after an eight-day Gaza offensive ended in a cease-fire with the enclave's Hamas Islamist rulers, Barak said he wanted to spend more time with his family and that politics "has never been a passion of mine."
Should Barak's resignation prove permanent his successor would likely come from Likud ranks. He might be replaced by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, of Likud's more hawkish coalition partner.
Few doubt this would affect the tenor of a ministry that oversees everything from armed conflict to administration of occupied Palestinian territory to liaising with regional power-broker Egypt.
Danny Yatom, an old army comrade of Barak's who went on to serve as head of the Mossad spy agency, described him as a "moderate anchor" for a Netanyahu government whose saber-rattling on Iran often raises the hackles of the US and other Western countries.
Yet Yatom, who served under Netanyahu during his first term as prime minister in the late 1990s, said the Israeli leader appeared to be patching up his testy ties with Barak Obama since the US president's re-election three weeks ago.
With Netanyahu, Barak has been at the forefront of Israel's campaign for stronger international sanctions against Iran to halt what Israeli and Western leaders fear is a drive to produce nuclear weapons, allegations Tehran denies.
Some commentators speculated Barak was trying to duck a trouncing for his tiny party in the ballot, after which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who heads the front-running, right-wing Likud, might return him to defense and military headquarters as a professional appointee.
But others said 70-year-old Barak, who has served as prime minister, may have had enough of campaigning and wanted to focus on resolving the Iranian issue before leaving his post.
"I stand before you to share my decision to resign from political life and not to run in the coming election for the Knesset," Barak said, adding he would stay on as defense chief until a new administration is sworn in.
Speaking five days after an eight-day Gaza offensive ended in a cease-fire with the enclave's Hamas Islamist rulers, Barak said he wanted to spend more time with his family and that politics "has never been a passion of mine."
Should Barak's resignation prove permanent his successor would likely come from Likud ranks. He might be replaced by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, of Likud's more hawkish coalition partner.
Few doubt this would affect the tenor of a ministry that oversees everything from armed conflict to administration of occupied Palestinian territory to liaising with regional power-broker Egypt.
Danny Yatom, an old army comrade of Barak's who went on to serve as head of the Mossad spy agency, described him as a "moderate anchor" for a Netanyahu government whose saber-rattling on Iran often raises the hackles of the US and other Western countries.
Yet Yatom, who served under Netanyahu during his first term as prime minister in the late 1990s, said the Israeli leader appeared to be patching up his testy ties with Barak Obama since the US president's re-election three weeks ago.
With Netanyahu, Barak has been at the forefront of Israel's campaign for stronger international sanctions against Iran to halt what Israeli and Western leaders fear is a drive to produce nuclear weapons, allegations Tehran denies.
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