Who's Who in the Election Runup - Avigdor Lieberman & Ehud Barak

Avigdor Lieberman, among the more outspoken critics of the current situation within Israeli politics, has declared his candidacy for prime minister and has formed a new political party as well. Lieberman has been criticized by many for his extremist views on the country is run; specifically pointing to the judiciary and police for their activities. His prior political experience comes from having worked as Prime Minister Netanyahu's director-general and some suggest that his entry in the race would allow him to act as a foil to Netanyahu so that he could garner a larger percentage of votes when forming a coalition government.

Lieberman, a Soviet emegree, is also seen as having the ability to draw votes away from Natan Sharansky's Yisrael Ba'aliya party that represents Soviet immigrant interests. Sharansky, a former dissident held in the Soviet Union, is the current Industry and Trade Minister within the Netanyahu government and holds a strong position within the large Russian community in Israel although some expect Lieberman to erode that position due to his sweeping attacks on the direction the Israeli society is headed.

Another heavyweight in the elections will be Ehud Barak, the leader of the left leaning Labor party. As one of the most decorated military leaders in Israeli history, Barak has the military background that some of his competitors have as well as the political background that makes him a formidable figure. He however lacks the charismatic and telegenic presence of Benjamin Netanyahu or Amnon Shahak. To combat this problem and to mount a challenge to what will likely be a repeat of Netanyahu's slick 1996 campaign, Barak has hired American James Carville as his public relations and election consultant.

American audiences should be familiar with Carville as he was instrumental in getting Bill Clinton elected as President in 1992. He has also participated in the successful election campaigns of British Prime Minister Tony Blair and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. This participation is likely to signal a more bitterly contested election process than usual in Israel as Carville will be squaring off with another political consultant guru, Arthur Finklestein who has been successful in winning elections for several American candidates including New York Senator Al D'Amato and Governor George Pataki as well as serving as advisor for Benjamin Netanyahu in 1996.

Barak will need to overcome a reputation for being extremely smart, but also too clever for his own good. Many see Barak as someone who is too willing to make a deal for personal advancement rather than for the national good. Carville will have his hands full trying to reshape Barak's image but the chief concern for Barak should be to look to domestic issues as well as the foreign policy crises. Domestically, Israel has lagged in economic growth and education and health are major concerns among large segments of the Israeli population. Barak should be able to capitalize on these issues should he be able to outline a comprehensive policy to improve the economic situation.

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