Profile:
Former general Barak runs on social, economic issues
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Barak
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Ehud "Brug" Barak is Israel's most highly decorated soldier, which makes him seem an unlikely leader of the left-wing Labor Party. But Barak sees himself as a moderate, and in his campaign for prime minister he sought to balance the Labor platform by running under a new banner: One Israel.
The One Israel ticket joins Labor with Gesher, an ethnic Moroccan party concerned with the needs of low-income Israelis, and Meimad, a spinoff of the National Religious Party.
Barak plays on few emotional strings, aiming his pitch at the heads of voters rather than their hearts.
His campaign for prime minister focused on Netanyahu's weak point -- social and economic issues. He worked to change Labor's image as an "elitist" party, wooing traditional Likud voters in deprived neighborhoods by citing Israel's dismal statistics on unemployment and economic productivity. Barak advocates that more money go into health services and education, rather than the creation of new settlements.
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Barak addressing the Knesset
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He also reached out to the middle class, which has suffered in the leaner economic times and whose votes are up for grabs.
Barak was born in 1942 in Kibbutz Mishmar Hasharon. He earned a bachelor's degree in physics and mathematics from Hebrew University in Jerusalem and a masters degree in economic-engineering systems from Stanford University.
He was drafted into the Israel Defense Forces in 1959. Barak served as a commander in many of Israel's most famous battles, including the 1967 Six-Day War and the 1973 Yom Kippur War. In 1991, he became the 14th chief of the General Staff and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general, the highest in the Israeli military. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal and four other citations for bravery and excellence.
A hallmark of Barak's military career was his involvement in the political process. He helped finalize the 1994 peace treaty with Jordan and also played a key role in Syrian-Israeli negotiations. Barak was critical of the Oslo talks but has argued that Israel should keep moving forward in a realistic manner on the path to peace.
In 1995, Barak left the military and joined the government of Yitzhak Rabin as minister of the interior. Before his appointment, he was accused of deserting wounded soldiers during a secret military exercise in 1992. An investigation exonerated him from the allegations of misconduct.
After Rabin was assassinated, Barak was appointed foreign minister in the administration of Shimon Peres.
Peres, a longtime Labor leader and Nobel peace laureate, once described Barak as his possible heir. But when Barak was elected Labor leader in 1997, Peres worked to undermine his position. Despite Peres' efforts, Barak's leadership solidified after the Knesset called for early elections.
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