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Former prime minister Ehud Barak delivering a speech during a commemoration ceremony for fallen IDF soldiers at the Reali School in Haifa on Thursday. (Doron Golan)
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Last update - 15:18 21/04/2007
MK Paz-Pines lashes out at Ehud Barak over Lebanon war comments
By Fadi Eyadat and Mazal Mualem, Haaretz Correspondents

In response to former prime minister Ehud Barak's comments on the Second Lebanon War, Labor leadership hopeful MK Ophir Pines-Paz on Friday lashed out at the former prime minister claiming his record in that position was largely negative.

"It's amazing how a person with such bad experience should flaunt his failures as if they were to his advantage," Pines-Paz said.

He added that the Labor party must not "compromise for a failed leadership."
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On Thursday, Barak, who is currently a leading candidate in the Labor Party leadership race, on Thursday openly criticized the management of this summer's war in Lebanon, deeming it a failure.

Barak said that the Israeli public is in the midst of a crisis "that stems from the experience of failure during the last summer, and from the cracks in the balance of power between Israel and its enemies."

Despite this, Barak added that Israel is still the most powerful country between Libya and Iran.

"The people thirst for worthy leadership. It is the leadership's duty to guide us towards change," Barak said during his the annual commemoration ceremony in honor of the fallen graduates of military boarding schools, held at the Reali School in Haifa.

During his speech, Barak also complimented Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Amir Peretz, and former Israel Defense Forces chief Dan Halutz, saying that they are talented people, albeit lacking in experience.

"When the dust settles over the findings and protocols of the Winograd Committee, we will see many conclusions pertaining to the management of the IDF and the home front, the decision making process, and, above all, the Israeli leadership's vital need for experience at this time," Barak said.

"This is not true of Denmark or Uruguay, and, some would say that this is not true of Great Britain, but the state of Israel has no substitute for experience in its top political echelons. Dan Halutz is one of the most talented [military leaders] this country has had in recent generations. Amir Peretz is talented. Olmert is talented, and the three of them surely had good intentions regarding the war, but ultimately, what happened, is that also on those levels there is need for more experience," added Barak.

Sources close to Peretz said in reaction that "Barak is simply shameless. He is the father of Hezbollah's increased might."

According to the sources, "Barak is the man who pulled the IDF out of Lebanon in a unilateral panicked flight, without an agreement or an international force, and left Hezbollah to grow stronger on the border...he is responsible for Israel's policy of denial."

During his term as prime minister, Barak orchestrated Israel's 2000 withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
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  1.   All stems from Barak`s own impotence 23:55  |  Absolute Sweden 19/04/07
  2.   Who unilaterally withdrew from Lebanon in 2000? 00:13  |  Nili 20/04/07
  3.   Smelling the Winograd report... 00:14  |  bat yam 20/04/07
  4.   No kidding 00:38  |  Libnanee 20/04/07
  5.   Barak:2nd Lebanon War Failure 00:38  |  Bernie 20/04/07
  6.   Never Thought I`d Agree With Peretz 00:59  |  Tod Zuckerman 20/04/07
  7.   Olmert needs to resign 01:03  |  Shepherd 20/04/07
  8.   Right on, Libnanee! 01:34  |  David Turner 20/04/07
  9.   # 2 & 5 01:56  |  ChanahS 20/04/07
  10.   well, with the withdrawal as number one failure 02:17  |  Paul Freedman 20/04/07
  11.   Second Lebanon War was a failure 02:24  |  Galvin Templar 20/04/07
  12.   Barark the General 02:55  |  Brod 20/04/07
  13.   USA ordered 02:59  |  Armando Vargas 20/04/07
  14.   best defense 03:03  |  Armando Vargas 20/04/07
  15.   Libnanee, does that mean what?? 03:05  |  Jake 20/04/07
  16.   Between Libya and Iran 03:15  |  Efox 20/04/07
  17.   recycled garbage 03:19  |  Jeff 20/04/07
  18.   Libnanee #3 03:30  |  Nick 20/04/07
  19.   Ehud Barak, Ranting of a coward 04:31  |  Sam 20/04/07
  20.   Barak is right 04:32  |  Brod 20/04/07
  21.   THE LAEBANESE MASTERCARD COMMERCIAL 04:41  |  james 20/04/07
  22.   Military readiness 05:26  |  Sam 20/04/07
  23.   ur time is up, my dear cousins 05:34  |  southern lebanon 20/04/07
  24.   Re: ur time is up, my dear cousins 06:23  |  Saimon 20/04/07
  25.   CAMEL CANT C ITS OWN BACK 08:51  |  SETH 20/04/07
  26.   YOU BETTER BELIEVE HIM 09:22  |  indrajaya 20/04/07
  27.   Ex-Rav-Aluf & PM E. Barak/2nd Leb. War 11:48  |  Ricardo Kolbe 20/04/07
  28.   Nili Send your son here to make the military service 12:03  |  Aby 20/04/07
  29.   OFFCOURSE IT WAS A FAILURE 12:26  |  alonitzafoni 20/04/07
  30.   Sam Who is coward you or him 12:41  |  Aby 20/04/07
  31.   2#you are wrong nili 12:57  |  Alon Fisher 20/04/07
  32.   BARAK FOR MINISTER OF DEFENSE!!! 13:00  |  alonitzafoni 20/04/07
  33.   Barak is a fraud. He did nothing about 2 Israelis lynched in 2000 13:12  |  Eric Ritter 20/04/07
  34.   Israeli Mastercard commercial 13:49  |  Lubnani Yehudi 20/04/07
  35.   The 2nd Lebanon war is only due to Barak 13:55  |  Steven 20/04/07
  36.   Gibberish 14:14  |  Clickfool 20/04/07
  37.   # 36, CLICKFOOL 14:38  |  indrajaya 20/04/07
  38.   ISRAEL is like a corpse propped up by the U.S. 15:02  |  Alan 20/04/07
  39.   A self serving speech 15:02  |  Tosefta 20/04/07
  40.   Leadership 15:07  |  Don 20/04/07
  41.   Barak not responsible for rise of Hizballah, Sharon is 15:18  |  Tosefta 20/04/07
  42.   #2 Well said, thanks 15:25  |  John Allen 20/04/07
  43.   #8 That`s the problem with you liberals.. 15:31  |  John Allen 20/04/07
  44.   #16 I agree with you 15:37  |  John Allen 20/04/07
  45.   #17 I have to agree with you, but.. 15:44  |  John Allen 20/04/07
  46.   #23 That is the problem in Lebanon 15:55  |  John Allen 20/04/07
  47.   Israel was in Lebanon 15:56  |  Mike 20/04/07
  48.   #35 I agree with you but, 16:04  |  John Allen 20/04/07
  49.   This is not true of Denmark, Uruguay or Great Britain? 16:12  |  Tamir Gaza 20/04/07
  50.   to Lubnani Yehudi 16:39  |  Libnanee 20/04/07
  51.   I love that it`s even a matter of debate 16:54  |  Jon 20/04/07
  52.   Galvin Templar, what cheap shit r u smoking ?? 17:05  |  Libnanee 20/04/07
  53.   To all who blame Barak 17:38  |  Lubnani Yehudi 20/04/07
  54.   To all those who blame Barak 2 17:50  |  Lubnani Yehudi 20/04/07
  55.   To Alon #31, maybe, maybe not 18:02  |  Lubnani Yehudi 20/04/07
  56.   To Alon p2 18:09  |  Lubnani Yehudi 20/04/07
  57.   to Libanee 18:21  |  Lubnani Yehudi 20/04/07
  58.   Lebanon and Syria are Phineoians, originally from Eretria Africa 18:30  |  Tamir Gaza 20/04/07
  59.   Lubnani Yehudi, so you are not a proud Israeli Yehudi? 18:36  |  Tamir Gaza 20/04/07
  60.   ya Nani Yehudi ma feesh shalom/ salam with lebanese 18:40  |  Tamir Gaza 20/04/07
  61.   Barak 18:48  |  Chick Corea 20/04/07
  62.   Lubnani....Barak`s offer 18:55  |  John 20/04/07
  63.   # 51 John 18:58  |  Harald 20/04/07
  64.   When did Offer Penis-Paz become Offer Paz-Penis? 19:15  |  Simcha 20/04/07
  65.   Who is Barak? Who is Paz-Pines? 19:18  |  B 20/04/07
  66.   If a Syrian or a Lebanese man found out that that woman is rich 19:42  |  Tamir Gaza 20/04/07
  67.   Barak, Full Baffoon.. 20:42  |  Benlolo, 20/04/07
  68.   Number 19. 20:47  |  David Nigel Braham 20/04/07
  69.   Barak 21:27  |  Ah 20/04/07
  70.   Alan, excuse me, "our heroes" 22:06  |  Jake 20/04/07
  71.   Tosefta, I guess Iranian Rev. guards did not create Hizbullah 22:16  |  Jake 20/04/07
  72.   Aby, whose sons died in the north of Israel? Tel Aviv`s? 22:31  |  Jake 20/04/07
  73.   barak bibi never again 23:38  |  michel 20/04/07
  74.   To Tamir 02:55  |  Lubnani Yehudi 21/04/07
  75.   To John, will do. 02:56  |  Lubnani Yehudi 21/04/07
  76.   Holding One`s Nose To Vote For The Next PM? 02:59  |  Yoram 21/04/07
  77.   Revenge and retaliation are stupid reasons to go to war. 03:26  |  Voice of Reason 21/04/07
  78.   We tought you a lesson Israel! 05:47  |  The Khybernator 21/04/07
  79.   I guess you can`t read (Jake #71) 06:49  |  Tosefta 21/04/07
  80.   There goes the backstabbing 08:36  |  observer 21/04/07
  81.   BARAK WITHDRAWAL FROM LEBANON GAVE FIGHTING EFFICIENCY TO HEZBOLL 17:06  |  NAD