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Last update - 01:20 22/12/2008 Ministers clash in cabinet as rockets rain down By Barak Ravid Yesterday's cabinet meeting to discuss how Israel should respond to the ongoing rocket fire from the Gaza Strip wound up focusing more on what ministers had been saying to the media. Defense Minister Ehud Barak lashed out at Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Vice Premier Haim Ramon, both of whom have argued in the media that Israel needs to respond to the rockets more forcefully. Advertisement "Hold your tongues!" he snapped. "Such statements don't bolster the citizenry's stamina. We shouldn't be vying over who wants to hurt Hamas more or who hates it more. I know it's a political time but we shouldn't engage in verbal assaults." "This has nothing to do with the elections," Ramon retorted. "I've been talking for months about the need for a more aggressive stance against Hamas. I want to hold a discussion in the government or the [diplomatic-security] cabinet or any other forum - and once there's a discussion and a decision is made, I won't say another word to the media." At this point, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert intervened on Barak's behalf. "In June, the [diplomatic-security] cabinet held a lengthy, detailed discussion and approved the truce policy," he noted. "No one did anything behind anyone's back. We don't need to have a new discussion every week on the policy that was adopted." Livni, however, joined Ramon in attacking Barak. "It is unacceptable to me that the defense minister demands that ministers not express their opinion on the eve of an election," she said. "Every minister has an opinion and he's entitled to express it. It's unacceptable to me that anyone who proposes responding [to the rockets] is accused of engaging in verbal assaults." On the substantive side, Livni charged that while she supported the truce because it brought temporary relief, it served no long-term strategic goal. It did, however, prove that Hamas is capable of halting the fire when it so chooses, "and therefore, responding to all fire is essential." Countering Barak's earlier claim that "restoring quiet will entail a large-scale operation," she added: "I don't accept the 'all or nothing' approach. The truce has ended, and we're now in a state of unilateral combat. We need to examine diplomatic, military and economic methods of response." Ramon argued that "the truce has been a complete failure. Admittedly, there has been quiet, but we'll pay for this quiet at a usurious rate of interest. We need to change the policy and make a strategic decision - namely, to bring an end to the Hamas government." Barak, responding both to this statement and to Livni's recent media statements about the need to topple the Hamas government, erupted. "Anyone who thinks it's possible to topple the Hamas government must understand that there's no way to do it without returning to the Strip," he said. "And there's no guarantee that we could halt the fire even with two or three divisions in Gaza. Therefore, ministers who talk about the need for an immediate operation are irresponsible. The verbal diarrhea here is reaching new heights. Do you think it would have been possible to carry out the Entebbe operation, or the Six-Day War, with this level of garrulousness? Someday, we'll ask ourselves whether we haven't missed opportunities for action because of all this talk." "True, the confrontation in Gaza is coming, but we need to act with restraint and fortitude," he continued. "There have been Israeli governments that suffered bombings inside Israel with 200, 400, 500 fatalities, yet acted coolly. All this talk makes it seem as if our stamina is eroding." Other ministers from Livni's Kadima Party largely backed her, while those from Labor backed Barak. Housing Minister Ze'ev Boim (Kadima), for instance, declared that "Hamas is making a laughing stock of us; we need to respond harshly." That prompted Social Affairs Minister Isaac Herzog (Labor) to retort that "when ministers say Hamas is making a laughing stock of us, that serves Hamas. We must avoid this." Olmert, however, sided with Barak. "It's permissible to talk, but forbidden to cause unnecessary harm to Israel's deterrence by talking," he concluded. "If we need to act, we'll act. But we don't need to make promotions for when and how we'll act, or when we'll hold a discussion." Bookmark to del.icio.us   Can war be avoided? Can Israel accept Hamas rule, and ease, rather than tighten its chokehold on Gaza? Latke eating champ Body builder eats 46 latkes in 8 minutes to win N.Y. Hanukkah contest and set a new record.

Read & React Bradley Burston: Can the First Gaza War be stopped before it starts? Responses: 184 Strikes on Negev drop as Hamas holds 24-hour truce Responses: 162 Damascus: Talks with Israel only after U.S., Israeli elections Responses: 35 B'Tselem: 58% of Ofra settlement built on Palestinian land Responses: 81 More Headlines 01:30 Olmert to Turkish PM: We must advance toward direct Israel-Syria talks 23:59 Mubarak extends rare invite to Livni for talks on Gaza violence 23:50 U.S. warns Russia against sale of advanced missiles to Iran 00:03 Fight against settlements not about boycotting Israel, says U.K. envoy 00:38 Strikes on Negev drop as Hamas holds 24-hour truce 00:44 Renowned author Amos Oz lays into Barak for 'letting settlers wreak havoc' 22:49 YouTube allows Web users to interview Israel's future prime minister 21:19 Can the First Gaza War be stopped before it starts? 20:20 Trial begins in Yemen over murder of local Jew 19:52 Israel's main TV channels bump political ads from primetime 17:40 Livni, on her home life: We're a completely normal family 15:23 Man eats 46 latkes in 8 minutes to win N.Y. Hanukkah contest 14:39 World Bank: New crossings for Palestinian goods may hurt exports 17:31 ANALYSIS / Israel must choose between bad and worse Gaza options 07:43 2008 marks record-breaking year for returning Israeli citizens Previous Editions Select Day 22 dec 21 dec 19 dec 18 dec 17 dec 16 dec 15 dec 14 dec 12 dec 11 dec 10 dec 09 dec

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