In the narrow time window left before the February 6th Israeli premiership elections, the two rivals: caretaker Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Likud leader Ariel Sharon will make use as much as possible of TV to win the support of the voters, many of whom are still hesitant to choose either.
According to a report on Wednesday by the New York Times, Many Israelis never imagined that a day would come when they would see Ariel Sharon addressing them in Russian “or stand in a field of cows and lift grandchildren to the sky. But, with the kickoff of election campaign advertising, that day has arrived.”
In a 25-minute block of prime time television on Tuesday, commercials began for the two candidates, who have equal time of "election propaganda time" every evening.
In most of his advertisements, Sharon, the 72-year-old Likud Party candidate, is either grinning widely, or appears as relaxed as Israel has ever seen the traditionally pugnacious former general, said the daily.
However, Barak’s job appears to be more difficult. First of all, his opponent is leading him by a commanding majority in the polls. Second, a clip shown on the TV caused him yet more trouble, the last thing he needed on the first day of the campaign.
Barak's campaign headquarters had to apologize Wednesday to the family of Sharon Shitubi, a soldier shown smiling in a television spot while pulling out of Lebanon last May -- unaware that he was to die in the Gaza Strip six months later, according to the AFP.
But Shitubi's father was in unforgiving mood, said the agency, quoting him as saying that his “son supported Labor and would certainly not have opposed what was shown, had he lived, but it is intolerable to see him in these circumstances," he told Israeli army radio.
While Sharon tries to depict himself as the man who would bring security and peace to Israel, Barak’s campaign leaders try to show their boss as the one who saved Israel from the dilemma brought about by Sharon’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982, and his role in the massacres of Sabra and Shatila refugee camps after the withdrawal of the PLO from the Arab country.
But contrary to anticipation, Barak did not start an all-out offensive against Sharon. Only one of his commercials attacked the Likud leader, the NY Times said, and only one of Mr. Sharon's attacked the prime minister.
Sharon, on the contrary, called for bridging differences after the election by forming a unity government.
However, "The Barak campaign has taken off the gloves from the beginning," Yaron Dekel, a political commentator on Israel Radio was quoted as saying.
The advertisement against Sharon shows him in unflattering close-up as he declares repeatedly, echoing himself, "I think that the Peace for Galilee war [Lebanon War] was one of the more justified of Israel's wars, one of the more justified of Israel's wars, one of the more justified of Israel's wars."
"We must not return to the days of Sharon," the negative advertisement concludes.
Both rivals try to win votes through promising Israelis security and prosperous peace, but at least 18 percent of the Israelis are indecisive.
Israeli press reports have quoted Israelis as saying they will either cast blank ballots or decline to go to the polls, because both candidates cannot achieve what they promised.
In fact, Barak himself achieved a landslide victory over prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 1999 because of similar promises he turned out unable to keep.
In a parliamentary speech before the swearing in that year, Barak declared that a resolution to decades of conflict in the Middle East was his top priority.
"I call on all regional leaders to take our outstretched hand and to make a peace of the brave in the area," he said during the speech.
"The supreme goal will be to bring peace to the Israeli people," said Barak, so that "mothers can sleep peacefully" in Israel – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
