The media and many politicians seem to be in rare agreement today against Barak\'s appointment to the Defense Ministry, in face of his earlier announcement to resign. Many radio and newspaper columnists have stinging criticism of what Meretz MK Yossi Sarid called \"one zig-zag too many.\" In addition, MKs Nachum Langental (NRP), Salah Tarif (Labor), several from Shas and Meretz, and others, have strongly criticized Barak on this point and called on either him or Sharon not to let the appointment go through.
Yechiel Leiter, a former advisor to both Netanyahu and Sharon and a Yesha leader, explained to Arutz-7\'s Yosef Zalmanson today why, in his opinion, Sharon feels so strongly about having Peres and Barak in his government:
\"By bringing Barak in, Sharon shows the world that he is not Attila the Hun, as he is portrayed internationally. Barak has the reputation in the world as the one who went \'all the way for peace.\' Peres, too, has international prestige. Sharon knows that if he goes it alone, with the standing that he has in the world, his government could fall in a matter of months. At the same time, it is convenient for Sharon if Barak is the one to carry out a strong defense policy… It\'s true that [former Likud Prime Minister Yitzchak] Shamir warned that Peres will try to undermine Sharon the way he undermined Shamir [during the unity government in the 1980\'s], but in actuality there are some differences: Shamir was more of a passive leader - and even he, in the end, was able to keep Peres somewhat under control - while Sharon is more of an initiator, and will better able to control matters. In addition, Peres now is not at the height of his powers… Barak, too, has lost much of his standing here at home…\"
Zalmanson: Will Defense Minister Barak place as many obstacles in the way of the growth of Judea and Samaria as did Yitzchak Mordechai under Netanyahu? [The Defense Minister is authorized to approve all construction and the like in Yesha, by virtue of the Military Administration existing there.]
Leiter: \"Mordechai, who was of the Likud, had to prove that he was not leaning to strongly to the right. Barak won\'t have that problem; the fact is that he did not agree to a freeze on construction in Yesha while he was Prime Minister, despite demands from his party that he do so. In addition, Sharon will also be involved in these matters. At least in the areas that Sharon sees as being permanently Israeli , he is likely to encourage Jewish construction.\"
Yechiel Leiter, a former advisor to both Netanyahu and Sharon and a Yesha leader, explained to Arutz-7\'s Yosef Zalmanson today why, in his opinion, Sharon feels so strongly about having Peres and Barak in his government:
\"By bringing Barak in, Sharon shows the world that he is not Attila the Hun, as he is portrayed internationally. Barak has the reputation in the world as the one who went \'all the way for peace.\' Peres, too, has international prestige. Sharon knows that if he goes it alone, with the standing that he has in the world, his government could fall in a matter of months. At the same time, it is convenient for Sharon if Barak is the one to carry out a strong defense policy… It\'s true that [former Likud Prime Minister Yitzchak] Shamir warned that Peres will try to undermine Sharon the way he undermined Shamir [during the unity government in the 1980\'s], but in actuality there are some differences: Shamir was more of a passive leader - and even he, in the end, was able to keep Peres somewhat under control - while Sharon is more of an initiator, and will better able to control matters. In addition, Peres now is not at the height of his powers… Barak, too, has lost much of his standing here at home…\"
Zalmanson: Will Defense Minister Barak place as many obstacles in the way of the growth of Judea and Samaria as did Yitzchak Mordechai under Netanyahu? [The Defense Minister is authorized to approve all construction and the like in Yesha, by virtue of the Military Administration existing there.]
Leiter: \"Mordechai, who was of the Likud, had to prove that he was not leaning to strongly to the right. Barak won\'t have that problem; the fact is that he did not agree to a freeze on construction in Yesha while he was Prime Minister, despite demands from his party that he do so. In addition, Sharon will also be involved in these matters. At least in the areas that Sharon sees as being permanently Israeli , he is likely to encourage Jewish construction.\"