The elections race for the 19th Knesset has commenced and politicians across the Israeli political spectrum are not missing the chance to go on the offensive. On Saturday, Vice Prime Minister and Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe (Bogie) Ya'alon (Likud) harshly criticized Defense Minister Ehud Barak (Independence) on the Iranian nuclear issue, saying that Barak had placed personal political interests over national interests during a recent trip to the U.S. Speaking at a cultural event in Ramat Gan on Saturday, Ya'alon said that "something happened with the Iranian story that was certainly improper, and that is what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was furious at Barak about, that the defense minister preferred political interests over national interests." "The prime minister thought that the defense minister was with him on the Iranian issue," Ya'alon said. "In the end, the defense minister hoisted Israel onto a tree, fled at the last moment and then presented himself as a moderate. "Things like this, mortgaging security interests in favor of political interests, can't be done. When you present yourself as a moderate, you win points in the U.S. and influence the electorate here [in Israel]. This is unconscionable." Barak responded to the criticism in an interview on Channel 2's "Meet the Press" program. The defense minister attributed Ya'alon's statements to the upcoming Likud primaries, saying that Ya'alon had fallen ill with "primary-itis." "This is a disease that attacks Likud members, particularly when they have to suck up to right-wing voters," Barak said. "These were pathetic statements, a shame. "Regarding the issue itself, I acted and I will continue to act so that we will have a realistic plan against the Iranian threat, while correctly managing our relationship with the U.S., which is a cornerstone of Israel's power." Barak said that he saw eye-to-eye with Netanyahu on the Iranian nuclear issue. The only difference, he said, was that he thought discussions with the U.S. on the various aspects of the issue should be conducted only behind closed doors. In Saturday's interview, Barak acknowledged his weak political position heading into the elections, to be held on January 22, but expressed confidence that his Independence party would pass the threshold to be represented in the Knesset. "I am not deluding myself," Barak said. "I'm not running for prime minister. I'm definitely convinced, though, that the Independence party will have real power in the next Knesset."
