Text size this story is by  Defense Minister Ehud Barak
apparently believes that the Israeli public is comprised of 7.3
million Ehud Baraks - including 1.5 million Arabs, who are
evidently Baraks in undercover garb. That is the only way to
interpret the political mistake he made in his assaults on Tzipi
Livni. A voter created in his own image should identify with the
gist of his message - that a security background is essential
for a prime minister. But for every male voter, there is also a
female voter, who is liable to be offended by his patronizing
tone, ascribe it to male chauvinism and punish Barak for it
should he ever run against Livni.  The principal axis of the
anti-Livni campaign being waged by both Barak and Shaul Mofaz is
the military-civilian axis. But Livni is well placed to defend
herself along this line. The only major general in her faction,
Isaac Ben-Israel, who served on the Israel Defense Forces'
General Staff and in the Defense Ministry in Barak's day,
repulsed their attacks and lauded Li