A Fistful Of Dollars

U.S. strategists flock to work for
Israeli politicians and parties.

MATTHEW DORF
Jewish. Telegraphic Agency

Washington

c7

66 I srael can be better, stupid."

This time around, sources say, Penn
and Schoen, who have worked for
President Clinton, will be hired by the
new centrist party, which is being
headed by Yitzhak Mordechai.
Barak has promised not to make the
same mistakes as Peres. He has already
used some of Carville's advice to
counter Netanyahu's attacks with pithy
one-liners of his own. "Too many lies
for too long," Barak charged last
month, soon after the Knesset dissolved
itself and called for new elections.
"The increasing reliance on

That's the overarching mes-
sage Ehud Barak needs to
carry if he wants to oust
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin
Netanyahu, according to James
Carville, one of the top U.S. election
strategists hired by the Labor Parry
candidate for prime minister.
Borrowing from the
successful mantra he cre-
ated for Bill Clinton's
Teams
1992 campaign for presi-
dent, "It's the economy,
THE HOPEFULS THEIR U.S. CONSULTANTS
stupid," Carville is hoping
to lead another candidate
Netanyahu Arthur Finkelstein
into office. But if Barak is
Barak James Carville, Stanley
going to win the Israeli
Greenberg,
to Robert Shrum
election, he is going to
and
Steve
Rabinowitz
have to beat candidates
who themselves are being
Centrist Mark Penn and Doug Schoen
advised by some of
Carville's traditional allies
Meimad Mark Mellman
in the Clinton camp — as
•
Yisrael Ba'Aliyah Ed Miller
well as a couple of rivals.
mougnos::::gemgammemago
Nearly a dozen high-
profile American cam-
paign consultants are flocking to Israel
American spin-doctors will bring some
in advance of the May 17 elections to
of the worst aspects of American elec-
work for Netanyahu, Barak, the new
toral politics to the Israeli scene," lead-
unnamed centrist parry and many of
ers of the American Jewish Congress
the small parties.
wrote in a recent opinion piece.
Three years ago Netanyahu rode
"In the United States, we have seen
the campaign commercials of Arthur
the degrading effect on political discourse
Finkelstein, one of the most sought-
of excessive marketing and manipula-
after Republican strategists in the
tion," wrote Jack Rosen, AJC president,
United States, to victory. Finkelstein
and Phil Baum, the group's executive
created the message that instilled fear
director.
in Israeli voters that Netanyahu's
The consultants say they aren't real-
opponent, Shimon Peres, was soft on
ly a negative influence.
terrorism and would divide Jerusalem.
"The truth is, Israeli politics is
Commercials with Peres and Arafat
already pretty ugly and has been before
walking hand in hand followed by
any real American influence," said
scenes from suicide bombings in Tel
Steve Rabinowitz, another of Barak's
Aviv were credited with swaying the
American advisers. "It's hard to imag-
winning margin to Netanyahu.
ine Finkelstein or Carville making
Although former premiers Menachem
Israeli politics uglier," Rabinowitz
Begin and Peres both had U.S. advisers
added. "It will be quicker and sharper.
in the 1970s and 1980s, neither
And Stanley Greenberg, a prominent
allowed their strategists to play a
Democratic pollster working for the
prominent role. In 1996 Peres frustrat-
Labor Party, called the Israeli electorate
ed his American .advisers, including
very sophisticated," adding, "I don't
pollsters Mark Penn and Doug Schoen,
worry that they're going to be bamboo-
by ignoring their advice to attack back.
zled by American techniques." l__

Opp osing

Robert Stewart Photography

Thank you for helping us grow!
We're pleased to announce the addition of
Terry Weinstein to our interior design staff.
Terry brings 10 years of talent and expertise to our studio.
We know you'll be as impressed as we are!

32506 Northwestern Highway • Farmington Hills, MI • (248) 851-7540

The !Minute In
Quality Buds

February 5, 6, &

`t.

20-50%

Skyline & The Backstreet Horns

L020-ROSS

All Cold
Weather Gear
For Outdoor
Fitness!

orkkimwir

Royal Oak • (248) 3984711

4110

WWW.LORIOROSS.COM

,;

3 DAYS
ONLY!

Eats and
Treats...

FkUNNINGIVIT

Novi:

Town Center
(Next to Mervyn's)
(248) 347-4949

• STACIE & CO.

• DAkOTA BREAd

• OMAHA STEAkS

• NEW YORk BALI El

• CARIbOU

COFFEE

((

thebikanobtailk

ORCHARD LAKE ROAD • WEST BLOOMFIELD

& '98 Mode
Closeout
Walking &
Runnin
Shoe Sa

I

Northville:

Haggerty Rd.

at 6 Mlle (Next to Wendy's)
(248) 380-3338

West Bloomfield:

Orchard Lk. Rd. South of Maple
(248) 626-5451

Ann Arbor:

123 E.Liberty
at 4th Ave (734) 769-5016

i 11291

1991

Detroit Jewish News

23

