Barak Presents Himself a Seasoned Candidate for Premiership

Ehud Barak speaks during the 19. Swiss Economic Forum SEF, in Interlaken, Switzerland, June 2, 2017. Anthony Anex/AP
Ehud Barak speaks during the 19. Swiss Economic Forum SEF, in Interlaken, Switzerland, June 2, 2017. Anthony Anex/AP
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Barak Presents Himself a Seasoned Candidate for Premiership

Ehud Barak speaks during the 19. Swiss Economic Forum SEF, in Interlaken, Switzerland, June 2, 2017. Anthony Anex/AP
Ehud Barak speaks during the 19. Swiss Economic Forum SEF, in Interlaken, Switzerland, June 2, 2017. Anthony Anex/AP

Former prime minister Ehud Barak said that he is the most seasoned and qualified among other candidates to lead Israel, namely Benjamin Netanyahu.

In an interview with Amnon Abramovich, Barak was asked why he didn’t run for elections, since “the tweeting policy is cowardly, a behind-the-back move.” He replied that it was the most adequate way of communication for him meanwhile.

“Many people asked me if I was going to compete in the elections. Some showed me a survey conducted four months ago, and it shows that if I run for elections infront of Netanyahu then I will get the required majority and win,” added Barak.

He continued, “Netanyahu would get the most votes overall. But neither of us gets as many as 40 percent of the vote; 35 percent of the public doesn’t know whom to vote for, with Netanyahu prime minister and me as a tweeting citizen.”

“I don’t need encouragement, I’m immodest enough to see that objectively, judging by record, experience, being internationally known, intimate familiarity with security issues, statesmanship and economics, I am today more seasoned and more qualified to lead Israel than any other candidate, including Netanyahu, who is experienced but incapable of making decisions,” he added.

Responding on Abramovich question about the possibility of Barak forming a new party led by a number of prominent figures, Barak replied, “It’s an excellent idea, but premature. Such a list must be formed on the eve of elections.”

It is not the first time that Barak’s name appear among possible candidates, despite Barak’s stated support for Labor’s recently elected leader Avi Gabbay.

Coalition Chairman David Bitan and Shuli Mualem, in coordination with Council of Settlements, promoted a new bill that removes imposed restrictions on Israelis movement in settlements evacuated in north West Bank.

The bill is a first step towards rebuilding four northern settlements in Jenin. It will be presented before the Ministerial Committee for Legislation for voting next Sunday. Yet, voting is expected to be delayed for five weeks, in coordination with the Americans.



Lebanon Elects Army Chief as New President

The Lebanese Parliament building a day before a session to elect the Lebanese president, in Beirut, Lebanon, 08 January 2025. (EPA)
The Lebanese Parliament building a day before a session to elect the Lebanese president, in Beirut, Lebanon, 08 January 2025. (EPA)
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Lebanon Elects Army Chief as New President

The Lebanese Parliament building a day before a session to elect the Lebanese president, in Beirut, Lebanon, 08 January 2025. (EPA)
The Lebanese Parliament building a day before a session to elect the Lebanese president, in Beirut, Lebanon, 08 January 2025. (EPA)

Lebanon's parliament elected army chief Joseph Aoun head of state on Thursday, filling the vacant presidency with a general who enjoys US approval and showing the diminished sway of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group after its devastating war with Israel.
The outcome reflected shifts in the power balance in Lebanon and the wider Middle East, with Hezbollah badly pummelled from last year's war, and its Syrian ally Bashar al-Assad toppled in December.
The presidency, reserved for a Maronite Christian in Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing system, has been vacant since Michel Aoun's term ended in October 2022, with deeply divided factions unable to agree on a candidate able to win enough votes in the 128-seat parliament.
Aoun fell short of the 86 votes needed in a first round vote, but crossed the threshold with 99 votes in a second round, according to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, after lawmakers from Hezbollah and its Shiite ally the Amal Movement backed him.
Momentum built behind Aoun on Wednesday as Hezbollah's long preferred candidate, Suleiman Franjieh, withdrew and declared support for the army commander, and as French envoy shuttled around Beirut, urging his election in meetings with politicians, three Lebanese political sources said.
Aoun's election is a first step towards reviving government institutions in a country which has had neither a head of state nor a fully empowered cabinet since Aoun left office.
Lebanon, its economy still reeling from a devastating financial collapse in 2019, is in dire need of international support to rebuild from the war, which the World Bank estimates cost the country $8.5 billion.
Lebanon's system of government requires the new president to convene consultations with lawmakers to nominate a Sunni Muslim prime minister to form a new cabinet, a process that can often be protracted as factions barter over ministerial portfolios.
Aoun has a key role in shoring up a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel which was brokered by Washington and Paris in November. The terms require the Lebanese military to deploy into south Lebanon as Israeli troops and Hezbollah withdraw forces.
Aoun, 60, has been commander of the Lebanese army since 2017.