NEXT to Israel's Prime Minister, Shimon Peres, his Foreign Minister, Ehud Barak, has clocked up far more screen time than any other member of the cabinet since Israel launched its fierce air and artillery bombardment of Lebanon 10 days ago.
It's not surprising. Besides being at the fulcrum of diplomatic activity around Operation Grapes of Wrath, Mr Barak was chief of staff when Israel launched a similar offensive in Lebanon in 1993. That may well explain why this past week Israel's Foreign Minister has been sounding more like its Defence Minister.
His comments on Israel's blitz of Lebanon have been uncompromising. Shortly after Israeli artillery shelled a UN compound in south Lebanon killing around 100 civilians, Mr Barak suggested that Israelis should "bite their lips" and said the operation would continue until Israel achieved the "far reaching goals" it had set itself.
A graduate of the army's most elite combat unit and a protege of the late Yitzhak Rabin, Mr Barak has emerged as one of the most hawkish members of Mr Peres's cabinet, and an enthusiastic supporter of Operation Grapes of Wrath.
In private conversations earlier this week Mr Barak criticised some ministers who suggested that if the Hizbullah ceased firing Katyushas at northern Israel, then Israel would stop pounding Lebanon. "To think that you can carry out an operation like this whenever you want, stop it, and then start all over again if you're fired at," Mr Barak said, "is a childish way of looking at diplomacy and military action."
Mr Barak seemed to be aware of the rather queer situation in which a foreign minister, responsible for the highly sensitive diplomatic front, was suggesting more forceful action to his prime minister and defence minister (Mr Peres). Mr Barak noted to an Israeli reporter: "With all the differences in emphasis between myself and the prime minister, there is trust between us . . . Even when Peres hears things from me that he doesn't agree with ... even if I suggest a more far reaching and aggressive line".
Curiously, despite the decision to strike deep into Lebanon, there still appeared to be elements within the military who feared the government would limit the operation. Answering questions near Israel's northern border, Brig Gen Giora Inbar controversially announced that the army "will not allow the prime minister to stop us". Gen Inbar was reprimanded by chief of staff Amnon Shahak, but the incident served to indicate the country's political and military aims do not always dovetail.
Like the political leadership the public has been solidly behind the military campaign. Treated to a nightly surfeit of Gulf War like television briefings where commanders show videos displaying pin point hits on Hizbullah targets, and pictures of Katyusha rockets ploughing into civilian settlements in the north, the public has rallied behind the assault.
Since launching the operation Mr Peres has resisted suggestions that he was driven by political self interest, but as the conflict has raged on in the north its impact ahead of Israel's May 29th national election cannot be ignored.
If at the outset of the military strike it looked like Mr Peres's actions would win him political support, especially among undecided voters who suspect he may be soft on security issues, it is note at all clear that will be the case when the hostilities cease.
While many had predicted the military blitz would boost Mr Peres's electoral hopes, opinion polls this week showed the six point lead the prime minister held going into Lebanon had not changed. However, Mr Peres will be aware that should a Katyusha rocket fall in northern Israel after a truce has been brokered and before the May 29th national election comes around, it could well decide his political future.