MER - The main difference
between Labor and Likud in Israel has always been stylistic and rhetorical.
In actuality, the two siamese-twin wings of the Israeli Zionist establishment
have always pursued the same basic overall policies -- and the long-line
of coalition "unity" governments attests to that reality. Both
Rabin and Peres served faithfully as Ministers in governments headed by
Likud Prime Ministers. Hence Benjamin Netanyahu recent announcement that
his own vision of a "final settlement" with the Palestinians
should be called the "ALLON-PLAN PLUS" -- referring to the Labor
Foreign Minister of the 1960s who initially devised the concept of Israeli
control and Palestinian "autonomy" -- is no real surprise.
Yasser Arafat was quick
to send Barak's his personal congratulations upon learning that he had
taken the helm of the Labor Party from his former pal Shimon Peres. Indeed,
the only ones who might be surprised to know how similarly Barak and Netanyahu
think may well be Arafat and friends -- for those who know them are amazed
how little tbey know about Israeli and Zionist history; and how little
they understand about the agreements they have signed. Now that former
General Ehud Barak is head of the Labor Party and quite likely the next
Israeli Prime Minister, its important to know his background.
These excerpts from a recent
Reuter's feature are very useful in that regard:
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BARAK ASSASSINATED ABU JIHAD
AND CRUSHED THE INTIFADA
[JERUSALEM - Reuter, 6/97]
A former army chief with
35 years military service under his belt, Barak is eight years Netanyahu's
senior. He commanded Netanyahu when they were elite commandos years ago.
Like his assassinated mentor, Barak has a blunt demeanor popular with Israelis.
In 1995 he left the army.
He joined Rabin's government as interior minister and served as foreign
minister under Peres...
Barak's image contrasts
sharply with that of Peres, regarded by many Israelis as too soft on security.
Even Rabin's widow Leah has called Barak heir to the legacy of her late
husband, who was army chief in the 1967 Six-Day War.
Barak made a name for himself
in 1973 when, as a commando posing as a woman, he took part in a foray
into Beirut during which three PLO leaders were killed. Military sources
said Barak devised many of the tactics used to combat the Palestinian uprising.
On the eve of his leaving the army, Barak took pride in the deaths of 10
of 12 most-wanted guerrillas and vowed his forces would hunt the others
down. Foreign sources have said that in a
bid to snuff out the revolt in its early days Barak planned and commanded
the 1988 raid in Tunis during which PLO military commander Khalil al-Wazir,
better known as Abu Jihad, was killed. But he opposed trying to crush the
revolt with unrestrained force and warned rampaging Jewish settlers against
taking the law into their own hands.
As a member of Labor, Barak
favors swapping land for peace with both Palestinians and Syria. While
army chief, Barak oversaw the first handovers of occupied land to Palestinians
under peace deals with the PLO. He helped clinch peace with Jordan in 1994.
He met his Syrian counterpart for unproductive security talks in Washington...