Olmert Says He Won't Resign

By Tzippe Barrow

CBN News - Jerusalem Bureau

May 1, 2007

CBNNews.com - JERUSALEM, Israel - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced -- in a pre-taped broadcast on Israeli television Monday evening -- that he will not step down from office. This, despite the findings of the Winograd Commission (set up to determine how Israel failed in last summer's Lebanon war), Olmert's single-digit approval rating, and nine pending legal investigations against him.

"It would not be right to resign," he read from a prepared statement, "and I don't intend to do so."

Click the player to watch John Waage's report and Pat Robertson's thoughts concerning the commission's findings and Ehud Olmert's statement.

Earlier in the day, at 4:00 p.m., the prime minister smiled broadly as he joined his Cabinet to receive the 250-page classified interim report on last summer's war in Lebanon.

The public may never know how long that smile lasted, but what they do know is the 12-page summary read in a live broadcast shortly afterwards by the Commission's chairman, retired Judge Eliyahu Winograd, is no laughing matter.

Report's Findings Worse than Expected

Most Israeli political analysts agree that the Commission's findings were much worse than the bits and pieces leaked to the press a few days prior to the report's presentation.

It was, in the words of Jerusalem Post senior political analyst Gil Hoffman, "much more serious" than many had anticipated.

But in spite of the prime minister's three percent approval rating and the interim report analyzing the first five days of last summer's botched war, Hoffman doesn't believe the government is politically threatened.

"The country is ready for a beheading," he told a group of mainly foreign journalists at Media Central's office in Jerusalem, "but it's not convenient for the executioner."

Nonetheless, the Commission held the prime minister, defense minister and chief of staff primarily responsible for the war's failures.

"The primary responsibility for these serious failings rests with the prime minister, the minister of defense, and the [outgoing] chief of staff. We single out these three because it is likely that had any of them acted better, the decisions in the relevant period and the ways they were made, as well as the outcome of the war, would have been significantly better."

Following is a postage-stamp summary of the report's findings.

Prime Minister

"The prime minister bears supreme and comprehensive responsibility for the decisions of 'his' government and the operations of the army…The prime minister made up his mind hastily, despite the fact that no detailed military plan was submitted to him and without asking for one. He made his decision without systematic consultation with others, especially outside the IDF [Israel Defense Forces], despite not having experience in external political and military affairs."

"He personally contributed to the fact that the declared goals were over-ambitious and infeasible…The prime minister did not adapt his plans once it became clear that the assumptions and expectations of Israel's actions were not realistic and were not materializing…All of these add up to a serious failure in exercising judgment, responsibility and prudence."

Defense Minister

"The minister of defense did not have knowledge or experience in military, political or governmental matters…Despite these serious gaps, he made his decisions during this period without systemic consultations with experienced political and professional experts, including outside the security establishment. In addition, he did not give adequate weight to reservations expressed in the meetings he attended.The defense minister failed in fulfilling his functions…His serving as minister of defense during the war impaired Israel's ability to respond well to its challenges."

Chief of Staff

The chief of staff is the supreme commander of the IDFand the main source of information concerning the army, its plans, abilities and recommendations presented to the political echelon…When the abduction happened, he responded impulsively…The chief of staff's responsibility is aggravated by the fact that he knew well that both the prime minister and the minister of defense lacked adequate knowledge and experience in these matters and by the fact that he had led them to believe that the IDF was ready and prepared and had operational plans fitting the situation…The chief of staff failed in his duties as commander in chief of the army and as a critical part of the political-military leadership and exhibited flaws in professionalism, responsibility and judgment."

Labor Minister Resigns

Tuesday morning at a press conference in Tel Aviv, Eitan Cabel (Labor) was the first minister to announce his resignation from the government.

"The public has lost faith in the prime minister," said Cabel. "I cannot sit in a government with Olmert at its head." Cabel would like to see others follow his lead.

While former Chief of Staff Lt.-General Dan Halutz resigned several months ago, there seems to be broad consensus across the political spectrum that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz should follow suit.

But Peretz is postponing his decision until the May 28th Labor primaries. If reelected, he hopes to replace Finance Minister Avraham Hirschon, on a three-month leave of absence pending the outcome of an investigation for financial improprieties.

On the other hand, if either former Prime Minister Ehud Barak and or former Shin Bet (General Security Agency) head Ami Ayalon wins the election, Labor may pull out of the government.

"Olmert must take responsibility and resign, as the Winograd Report's conclusions are much more severe than earlier publications, and they indicate the inclusive failure of character of the Israeli leadership," said Ayalon on Monday.

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