Barak to be defense minister; Peretz: No chance of cooperation - Haaretz

Last update - 23:03 16/06/2007

Barak to be defense minister; Peretz: No chance of cooperation

By Barak Ravid and Mazal Mualem, Haaretz Correspondents, Haaretz Service and News Agencies

According to sources, outgoing Labor Party Chairman and Defense Minister Amir Peretz said newly-elected labor chairman Ehud Barak had "ruined his chance to prove his willingness to cooperate" with the outgoing Labor leader.

"The old Barak is back," Peretz said in private conversations on Saturday, according to his confidantes.

Peretz was referring to the speed with which newly-elected Labor Party Chairman Ehud Barak secured his own appointment as Defense Minister.

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In light of Hamas' violent takeover of the Gaza Strip, Barak sent a letter to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert asking he be made defense minister instead of Peretz as soon as possible.

Barak and Olmert met Friday and "agreed that given the situation in the Palestinian Authority, we need an experienced defense minister as soon as possible," an Olmert aide said on condition of anonymity.

Defense Minister Amir Peretz resigned from the government on Friday, Channel 10 reported, as the cabinet approved the appointment of Barak as his replacement.

The Knesset is expected to approve Barak's appointment on Monday, immediately following which he will take over from Peretz.

Peretz said in the wake of the Winograd Committee's partial report on the Second Lebanon War that he would resign as defense minister following the Labor Party primaries.

There had been speculation that he would stay on in the government as a minister without portfolio, but he informed Ehud Olmert on Friday that he does not intend to do so, Channel 10 reported.

Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh will also likely be replaced.

Barak made it clear to Olmert that he intends to stick to his demand that the prime minister resign no later than the publication of the Winograd Committee's full report - in late July or early August.

Olmert will meet Barak again at the end of next week, after his return from the United States. Upon returning, the prime minister also plans to appoint a finance minister and a Negev and Galilee development minister, to replace President-elect Shimon Peres. Both these portfolios are expected to remain in Kadima's hands.

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1.	barak as surrender minister	17:47	\|	DOV KORET	15/06/07

2.	Barak so you going to go in and get rif of Hamas	18:04	\|	Shepherd	15/06/07

3.	Israel coming to its senses	19:23	\|	Chaim	15/06/07

4.	Barak	20:09	\|	Brian	15/06/07

5.	What a relief, but why so late ?!	20:19	\|	Claudia Loria	15/06/07

6.	To D.M no more mistakes like what you did in S Lebanon	20:20	\|	e.m	15/06/07

7.	Barak defense minister	20:37	\|	Dik	15/06/07

8.	Good riddance!! Livni and Olmert should follow his example.	20:51	\|	Ben	15/06/07

9.	peretz quits	21:17	\|	Shmuelshachor	15/06/07

10.	Good riddance Peretz	21:17	\|	Steven	15/06/07

11.	Barak/Peretz	21:18	\|	Harry	15/06/07

12.	#5	21:34	\|	avi	15/06/07

13.	To Those Who Oppose Barak As Defense Minister	22:06	\|	Eli	15/06/07

14.	Barak will be worse	22:36	\|	Crow T. Robot	15/06/07

15.	5-Claudia	22:38	\|	Jerry	15/06/07

16.	You Really Blew It	22:42	\|	Mark	15/06/07

17.	One idiot withe another no difference	23:17	\|	Sam Weinstein	15/06/07

18.	#3 I see where your coming from	23:36	\|	Sam Weinstein	15/06/07

19.	Barak--Make sure you do not oppose Ashkenazi, who is brilliant.	23:48	\|	Mea	15/06/07

20.	Mofaz is the MAN	00:06	\|	Yehuda	16/06/07

21.	#12 HUGE difference	00:22	\|	Kate	16/06/07

22.	Hey, Ehud doesent Ehud deserve more respect?	02:40	\|	nehemia dB	16/06/07

23.	Big loss for everyone but Israel, two to go...	02:55	\|	r	16/06/07

24.	He already gave away Jerusalem , it is documented	04:12	\|	Sal	16/06/07

25.	For what it`s worth	07:46	\|	bbl	16/06/07

26.	Barak - He is a Legend in His Own Mind	08:32	\|	Tod Zuckerman	16/06/07

27.	Sof Sof	09:00	\|	SJ	16/06/07

28.	Barak curb your ego!	09:25	\|	Joseph	16/06/07

29.	Eli # 13	10:33	\|	Philippe	16/06/07

30.	amir peretz	10:54	\|	michael cohen	16/06/07

31.	quitting	12:13	\|	colin	16/06/07

32.	Barak is a mental case. Have rahmanut on us.	13:58	\|	D	16/06/07

33.	No.3 Chaim you show complete ignorence	14:05	\|	D	16/06/07

34.	One good flush deserves another	15:35	\|	Mark Lincoln	16/06/07

35.	To #15	19:52	\|	Realist	16/06/07

36.	Walking disaster Barak in saddle again ,it`s a shame on Israel	20:34	\|	Absolute Sweden	16/06/07

37.	"agreed that given the situation in the Palestinian Authority, w	21:18	\|	David	16/06/07

38.	ministers.	22:24	\|	colin	16/06/07

39.	barak demands olmert resign no later than august	22:57	\|	yahn goodey	16/06/07

40.	Is there any evidence that Barak has learned from mistakes?	23:17	\|	Mike	16/06/07

41.	To Brain...he return and won, showing to be smart	23:53	\|	soldier	16/06/07

42.	barak`s conflict of interst	00:13	\|	michel	17/06/07

43.	to 11	00:15	\|	baracuda	17/06/07

44.	** At least Barak knows how to use binoculars*	01:00	\|	Gary Pineda	17/06/07

45.	Woo`````, Nothing to celebrate	02:04	\|	Sam	17/06/07

46.	Time will show how big mistake was to replace Peretz	02:09	\|	Sal	17/06/07

47.	Patience Mr Peretz, Patience	05:56	\|	Tony Anthony	17/06/07

48.	wipe out hamas in gaza now that no one backs them better now then	06:15	\|	ralph	17/06/07

49.	42: Michal, no, there`s no sign	08:47	\|	David Teich	17/06/07