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ANALYSIS: Barak restores confidence in Israeli forces

Efficient, secretive and sure of himself, former prime minister Ehud Barak has enjoyed a flawless 100 days back in government following a comeback to Israeli national politics, analysts say.

Since reassuming the defense ministry portfolio on June 18 after winning the Labor party leadership, the ex-chief of staff has managed to restore Israelis' confidence in their armed forces, badly shaken after last year's inconclusive war in Lebanon, they say.

In the three months that the 65-year-old has been in charge, the military has carried out several successful operations, including an air strike deep inside Syria reminiscent of some of Israel's most legendary operations.

"There is no doubt that Barak has returned a sentiment of security to the population with a series of successful operations, of which the last one in Syria has undoubtedly left its mark," political analyst Yaron Ezrahi said.

Barak, having consolidated his leadership of the party, is today in a good position to reclimb the ladder of power six years after withdrawing from public life following an election defeat in the wake of the failed Camp David summit with the Palestinians in 2000.

The professionalism of Israel's most decorated soldier contrasts sharply with the amateurism of his predecessor at defense, former trade union leader Amir Peretz who was roasted for his lack of leadership during last summer's 34-day war with the Shiite Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Israel has maintained an official silence over the reported Sept. 6 raid on Syria, in which Damascus said its air defense fired at Israeli warplanes that had dropped munitions deep inside the country.

But the Israeli press has still been filled with foreign media reports, most of which now say that Israel bombed a military site that contained nuclear material from North Korea -- a charge denied by both Damascus and Pyongyang.

A recent article in London's Sunday Times said that commandos from the elite Sayeret Matkal unit that Barak once headed had seized nuclear material at the site before bombing it, in a raid allegedly directed by Barak himself.

As a soldier Barak took part in some of Israel's most legendary operations -- the 1972 Beirut raid against Palestinian militants and the Entebbe hostage rescue in 1976.
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