Barak breaks silence with media, exchanging barbs with Livni

"There will not be a situation in the future where someone attacks Barak without getting an immediate response from him. From our point of view, we are already in an election campaign." These fighting words were uttered yesterday by an associate of Labor Party Chairman and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, after the latter traded barbs with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni through the media.

For Barak's strategic switch was born of the realization that a new government will probably not be formed after the Kadima primary next month, and that he must prepare for an election. Yesterday, in an interview to Ynet, he went after Livni for criticizing Barak for interfering in Kadima party affairs.

"I suggest no one interfere in what is happening in Kadima," Livni told the Web site. "Kadima is facing a decision on its future. Those who have to take responsibility for the decisions are Kadima's members themselves ... Interference such as that by Barak is inappropriate, in my opinion, and its motives are transparent," Livni said.

Livni responded to statements by Barak last week in which he said that being prime minister of Israel is not like a reality television program, and demands military and political experience. "Security is not just being an army man," Livni said. "It's seeing beyond ... understanding processes and using common sense and consideration, which do not depend on familiarity with one area only."

Barak and his people decided to retaliate immediately rather than holding their fire, and to do so directly. His bureau issued a response stating: "The overblown response of Minister Tzipi Livni to Barak's value judgment about the traits needed for a prime minister raise many questions. It is not credible that Livni herself believes that the debate on the issue of the characteristics necessary to be prime minister is the sole province of a handful of Kadima members. We didn't hear similar complaints from Tzipi Livni when, thanks to the Labor Party headed by Barak, the Kadima primary she is contesting was scheduled."

On Sunday, it was disclosed that former Channel 2 CEO Shlomo Kital had accepted Barak's offer to join his campaign as a special consultant. The veteran journalist hit the ground running yesterday, talking up Barak in interviews to the media. Among other things, Kital said there is a big gap between Barak's image and his true capabilities, and the defense minister must explain his personal truth.