Last update - 00:00 21/08/2007
Hanegbi to Winograd panel: War led to diplomatic achievement
By Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent
In his testimony to the Winograd Committee on the Second Lebanon war, which was released Tuesday, Chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Tzahi Hanegbi told the panel that for the first time in Israel's history, except perhaps for the War of Independence, the Second Lebanon War led to a diplomatic achievement.
Hanegbi testified that the diplomatic achievement was the deployment of the Lebanese Army in southern Lebanon and the stationing of a multi-national force there as well.
During his testimony, Hanegbi told of several meetings that his committee held during the war, which included tours of the north. Hanegbi said that the committee members were divided on the need for a ground incursion into southern Lebanon. According to Hanegbi, their disagreement is why the committee did not formulate a clear recommendation on the matter.
Hanegbi said that in his opinion the decision to go to war was the right one, as was the decision to send in troops on the ground as "it was impossible to stop the firing of Katyusha rockets with out a long term ground incursion".
Hanegbi said that the two other achievements that the war brought on were the weakening of Hezbollah while reducing the threat on Israel's northern communities.
In response to the question whether or not the committee discussed the goals of the war, Hanegbi responded "that is already known to you".
Panel member Yehezkel Dror responded by saying "known but not so clear. What do you mean by the weakening of Hezbollah? Did you have a discussion about this?"
"Yes, the goals are immeasurable goals. Some are amorphous," Hanegbi answered.
Hanegbi said that during the war there was "negligence and irresponsibility in dealing with field security, and the blame falls on the media. The IDF should have closed off certain areas from the media. That is what we did in previous wars and that is what other western armies do as well."
According to Hanegbi, "it is inconceivable that a reporter will stand in Metula and tell the enemy what they think the next step in the army's plan will be."
Hanegbi said that the public's right to know is not the enemy's right to know.
Meretz MK Zehava Gal-On responded to Hanegbi's criticism of the media by saying that "if it were not for the media, we would not have known about the serious failures in supplying food, water and arms to the fighters. The public's right to know would not have been the only thing damaged, but also the soldiers rights as well."