Sign in Subscribe
Netanyahu, Benjamin

American Strategists Help Israeli Prime Minister-Elect Win Landslide Victory

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

American political strategists, including James Carville, Robert Shrum, and Stanley Greenberg, were instrumental in helping Israeli Prime Minister-elect Ehud Barak win a landslide victory over incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The advisors, who were paid a reported $400,000 for their services, brought their expertise in saturation polling, focus groups, and immediate-response teams to the Israeli campaign. The American strategists credited Mr. Barak's win to a successful campaign that shifted the focus from security issues to domestic concerns, such as the economy and social tensions.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Barak campaign used a "threshold model" to portray Mr. Barak as a strong leader who could protect Israel, rather than relying solely on security issues.
  • The campaign successfully attracted a majority of Jewish voters, as well as a significant number of Israeli Arabs and Russian emigres.
  • The American strategists had to adjust to Israeli political realities, including a fast-paced news cycle and publicly funded television advertising.
  • The intensity of the political discourse in Israel was a notable difference for the American strategists, who were struck by the country's history of being surrounded by hostile neighbors.
  • The campaign also had to contend with a reputation of Mr. Netanyahu as a highly decorated military hero and a previous successful prime minister.

The American strategists, including James Carville and Robert Shrum, played a key role in Mr. Barak's landslide victory over Mr. Netanyahu.

  • James Carville, a key strategist for the Barak campaign, noted that the campaign was essentially an American-style election, with the focus on the Jewish vote.
  • Robert Shrum, another key strategist, stated that the campaign successfully neutralized the Likud Party's focus on security issues.
  • Stanley Greenberg, a pollster for the Barak campaign, highlighted the success of the campaign's "crossing the threshold" message, which portrayed Mr. Barak as a strong leader who could protect Israel.

Statistics:

  • Mr. Barak won the election by a landslide, with a 12 percentage point margin over Mr. Netanyahu.
  • The Barak campaign attracted a majority of Jewish voters, as well as a significant number of Israeli Arabs and Russian emigres.
  • The campaign also attracted around 15 percent of the Orthodox vote, which is equal to Mr. Peres' total in the previous election.
  • The American strategists, led by James Carville, Robert Shrum, and Stanley Greenberg, were paid a reported $400,000 for their services.
  • The Barak campaign's victory came on the same day that the FBI announced that it would not recommend indicting any Israeli officials in connection with the U.S. spy scandal.

Sources:

  • The Washington Times
  • The New York Times
  • James Carville
  • Robert Shrum
  • Stanley Greenberg
  • Ehud Barak
  • Benjamin Netanyahu
  • Shimon Peres

Read more