Barak to the future

In 1996, Israelis elected Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister, hailing him as a straight-talking, anti-establishment, media-bashing conservative — a less telegenic Ronald Reagan, a somewhat more flappable Margaret Thatcher. They tossed him out of office Monday, calling him a three-year waste of their time, a belligerent isolationist, an ideologue. One political friend-turned-foe went so far as to compare him to Newt Gingrich. Ouch.

Now it’s Ehud Barak’s turn. The new prime minister is viewed as the reincarnation of the slain warrior/peacemaker Yitzhak Rabin. Few acts are tougher to follow than martyrdom.

Still, there are ample reasons for optimism, not just in Israel, but in the Arab world, in Washington and in all other places desiring peace in the Middle East. Israeli politics, always fractious, is more unruly than ever; 15 parties have seats in Parliament. The ouster of Mr. Netanyahu, the collapse of his Likud party and an overall move toward the center were countered with strong gains by the ultra-conservative Shas party. Widespread expectations of a revived peace process are countered by widespread objections to the key to peace — an independent Palestinian state.

Those, of course, are reasons for pessimism. The cause for optimism is Mr. Barak himself. While his record as prime minister remains to be written, he already has proven himself to be a truly remarkable person.

He’s the son of Zionist pioneers, born in a kibbutz. In his 36-year military career, he rose from platoon leader to head of the general staff. He planned and led the phenomenal rescue of all 97 hostages from a hijacked airplane in 1972. The next year, he crossed into Lebanon disguised as a woman on a mission that ended with the assassination of three PLO terrorists. He holds degrees in physics, mathematics and, from Stanford, a master’s in economic engineering systems. He rebuilds fine clocks in his spare time and plays a mean piano.

More importantly, he’s a warrior who cherishes peace. In 1994, as chief of staff, he supervised the first troop withdrawals from Jericho and the Gaza Strip and he played a key role in securing a peace treaty with Jordan. In just two years after retirement from the military in 1995, he served as interior minister and foreign minister, and revived the shattered Labor Party after the loss that brought Mr. Netanyahu to power.

Most importantly, he has adopted his predecessor’s “peace through security” slogan, but with a twist — one can negotiate and accommodate without being soft on terrorism. He was quick to praise Mr. Netanyahu’s sporadic peace gestures. He said, with no equivocation: “Israelis must free ourselves of the burden of ruling the Palestinians, who have been residents of this land for hundreds of years.”

Netanyahu-trashing is the fashion in Israel today. Perhaps Israelis will come to realize that Mr. Netanyahu delivered what he promised — a hard line. They simply voted for something they later found out they didn’t want. Perhaps they will realize that the animosity directed at the peacemaker Rabin created the conditions for assassination, national shame and, if what they’re saying is true, three wasted years. There cannot be peace in the Middle East until Israel makes peace with itself. It’s an enormous job. Mr. Barak may be larger than life, but he can’t do it alone.