Last update - 00:00 20/03/2007
PM, Peretz testimonies may be released before Winograd interim report
By Yuval Yoaz and Nir Hasson, Haaretz Correspondents
The state prosecution told the High Court Of Justice on Tuesday that the testimonies of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Amir Peretz, and former Israel Defense Forces chief of staff Dan Halutz will be examined in order to determine whether they may be published ahead of the release of the Winograd Committee's interim report on the second Lebanon war.
The announcement comes in response to Meretz MK Zehava Gal-On's petition to the court two weeks ago, demanding the publication of Olmert, Peretz, and Halutz's testimonies. She also asked for the committee's expected timetable for the release of the protocols.
Last week, the Winograd Committee announced it would publish its interim report in the second half of April.
"In my view, this is a victory," said Gal-On. "However, this experience teaches us that the Winograd Committee promised the High Court a month and a half ago it would release the protocols, but nothing has happened since."
"Therefore, I will demand at this coming Thursday's hearing that the committee release an expected timetable for the release of the three testimonies, and a more detailed timetable for the release of the rest of the testimonies before publishing the interim report," Gal-On added.
The High Court rejected Gal-On's previous petition to open the commission's hearings to the public and to publish the transcripts of testimonies.
The justices wrote in their ruling that the committee must "put the principle of public hearings first."
Last week, the Winograd Committee announcemed that it intends to publish personal conclusions about Olmert, Peretz, and Halutz in its interim report.
The announcement revealed that there would be no letters of warning, and senior officials would not be given the right to present their arguments before the interim report is published. Under such circumstances, the officials will not be able to ask the committee to view its protocols and documents.