PRIME MINISTER BARAK

By Max Levine
University School

The college style lecture by former Prime Minister Ehud Barak was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Under the watchful eye of an unknown number of security guards, the former prime minister began his lecture on the theme of “identity.” This theme was touched upon as he talked about Israel, the United States, Iraq, North Korea, and other global issues, including nuclear weaponry. The former prime minister called the state of the world “unique and turbulent.”

While the former prime minister discussed serious issues, he kept the audience interested in the lecture by telling jokes and stories from his time as prime minister and as a solider in the Israeli Defense Force, also known as the IDF. The prime minister was able to keep the audience members on the edge of their seats as he told stories about the fierce battles with terrorists following the 1972 Munich Olympics tragedy.

Appointed by the Israeli government, Barak during his time in the IDF led a group of counterterrorism agents on a mission to bring the terrorists responsible for the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre to justice. As part of the plan to capture the terrorists, Barak dressed in female clothing so that he would be disguised and had the ability to patrol the area. He then walked leisurely around the Palestine Liberation Organization’s headquarters in present-day Palestine before storming the compound with his fellow agents. The former prime minister captivated the audience as he told in great detail the intense shootout that followed .The former prime minister ended his tale with a joke that his wife was surprised to see him in female dress when he returned home the next morning as she was just waking up.  

Listening to former Prime Minister Barak speak at NSU was an unforgettable experience, and because I follow Middle Eastern news daily, seeing him in person helped make the headlines came alive. The former prime minister was instrumental in many of Israel’s accomplishments, such as peace agreements with the late Yassar Arafat. The former prime minister was and will continue to be a key figure in Israeli politics.