Labor MK Pines-Paz calls on party to quit gov't over war report - Haaretz

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Thu., December 27, 2007 Tevet 18, 5768

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		Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (Tess Scheflan / Jini)

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Last update - 12:25 27/12/2007

Labor MK Pines-Paz calls on party to quit gov't over war report

By Mazal Mualem, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service

Tags: Lebanon war, Ehud Olmert

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's expressed refusal to resign following the upcoming publication of the final Winograd committee report on the Second Lebanon War has focused renewed attention on the fault lines within Olmert's main coalition partner, the Labor Party.

Voices from within the faction are calling on Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who vowed during his campaign for party chairmanship to pull the party out of the government upon the report's release, to follow through on his pledge.

"My main criticism of the prime minister is in connection to the last ground operation in the final 48 hours of the war," Labor Party MK Ophir Pines-Paz told Army Radio on Thursday. "In actuality, the decision which was reached was completely disconnected from the ability to reach the military and political objectives [of the operation]. The ground operation was doomed to failure, and all the cabinet members knew it, and certainly the prime minister knew it."

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"The Labor Party must come to its senses and understand that it's not just another party," Pines-Paz said. "It has to lead and to create alternatives. If the party continues to be dragged along by others, if it says one thing and does the opposite on a number of issues, it will simply disappear because it will have outlived its usefulness."

"This is the Labor Party's biggest test," Pines-Paz told Army Radio. "At the moment of truth, is it ready to pay the price for its beliefs, its promises, its obligations?"

Pines-Paz told the radio that although Barak has not told him directly that he has changed his mind, all signs indicate that the Labor chairman is leaning towards keeping the party in the coalition.

"I support staying in the government, irrespective of who is leading it," Labor MK Amir Peretz told Army Radio. "I'm not discussing individuals, I'm talking about issues. The future of the state of Israel is important to me, and the fact that I'm not a minister in the government has no bearing on my position. I will support Labor's remaining in the government, and I will continue to fight for my positions within the Labor Party."

Bereaved families: We'll force PM to step down
Families of Israel Defense Forces soldiers slain during the Second Lebanon War said on Wednesday that if Olmert does not step down of his own initiative following publication of the Winograd Committee's final report into the handling of the war, they would force him to do so.

Olmert said earlier Wednesday that he had no intention of stepping down from his position after the Winograd Committee of inquiry into the Second Lebanon War publishes its final report.

The report, expected to be released by the end of the year, will not include any personal conclusions or recommendations against any individuals.

Moshe Muskal, head of the Forum for Bereaved Families, said in response to the prime minister's remarks, "if Prime Minister Ehud Olmert does not resign from his position after the Winograd report, we, the bereaved families, will make him do so. We will open a campaign to bring about his resignation and bring the nation to the polls."

Muskal, whose son Rafael was killed during a battle in Maroun Ras, said that the campaign would include blocking traffic, stopping the convoys of the prime minister and the defense minister, hunger strikes and demonstrations.

"If we need to burn down the club, we will. He is discounting the intelligence of bereaved families and of the entire public. He has known he should step down already for 500 days. Each of those days, he has been given a salary by the state. He knows, and everyone knows, what Winograd is going to say in his report," Muskal said.

Muskal said that before the publication of the report, the bereaved families would publish their own report probing the conduct of the government and the army during the war, and would include in it individual findings and recommendations.

PM says won't step down after Winograd war report published
"I do not plan to resign after the final Winograd report," Olmert told members of the Meretz faction during their meeting at his Jerusalem bureau on Wednesday.

Olmert was responding to remarks made by Meretz faction whip, MK Zahava Gal-On, who said that she would support any political process he pursued, but would continue to call on him to step down over his conduct during the 2006 war.

The prime minister said, "I will choose the time and the place to respond to the report."

In response to a question from MK Avshalom Vilan regarding his stance on the proposal to compensate West Bank settlers who voluntarily evacuate their homes, Olmert said he believed there was room for consideration of the bid.

The meeting with Meretz was held at the initiative of Olmert, who had requested to brief the faction on last month's regional conference in Annapolis, Maryland, and the political process.

Meretz chair MK Yossi Beilin told Olmert that despite what he sees as his genuine attempts to achieve peace, they will be foiled by his government partners, Yisrael Beitenu and Shas.

MK Ran Cohen urged Olmert to take active part in putting an end to the lecturers' strike and form a team of three former education ministers - Yossi Sarid, Amnon Rubinstein and Aharon Yadlin - to mediate between the parties.

Related articles:

Official: PM delivered 'detailed, focused' testimony to Winograd

Lebanon war probe accuses Olmert of 'severe failure,' blasts Halutz, Peretz

The main findings of the Winograd partial report on the Second Lebanon War

Winograd to court: War report won't include personal findings

War probe panel to drop individual findings, expedite report

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1.	Sorry, the photo of " Hermit" says it all.	18:26	\|	Stephen.	26/12/07

2.	"I will will choose the time and the place to respond..."	18:41	\|	Ovadiah ben Avraham	26/12/07

3.	That comment shows Olmert is out of touch with the Israeli People	19:03	\|	Shepherd	26/12/07

4.	Olmert stepping down	19:05	\|	David Gershon	26/12/07

5.	Olmert	19:23	\|	Rozz	26/12/07

6.	OLMERT=DICTATOR=DEATH OF ISRAELI DEMOCRACY	19:30	\|	WARRIOR	26/12/07

7.	Olmert (again)	19:35	\|	Rozz	26/12/07

8.	Show the naked truth	20:12	\|	H.H.M	26/12/07

9.	Olmet	20:20	\|	Rozz	26/12/07

10.	Olmert step down	21:02	\|	chuck	26/12/07

11.	Olmert	21:05	\|	Schlash	26/12/07

12.	Olmert refuses to step down	21:50	\|	Geroge	26/12/07

13.	Perhaps Olmert is planning another debacle	21:54	\|	Natallie Durson	26/12/07

14.	another royal decree from the newest middle east king	22:06	\|	zionist forever	26/12/07

15.	geroge	22:12	\|	chuck	26/12/07

16.	olmert resignation	22:23	\|	marcel	26/12/07

17.	time for his coalition to make him!!!	23:16	\|	victor hardman	26/12/07

18.	obviously Gawd has chosen Olmert just as he has chosen me!	23:19	\|	King George	26/12/07

19.	The curse of chutzpah is upon Israel	23:40	\|	Clickfool	26/12/07

20.	Nero`s Senat is Olmert`s Knesset	00:10	\|	Michael	27/12/07

21.	chuck	00:14	\|	A.M.	27/12/07

22.	Winograd is only the icing on the cake. What about three criminal	00:55	\|	Chaim	27/12/07

23.	Olmert and Siniora are in power only b/c of USA	01:08	\|	The Truth	27/12/07

24.	bereaved forum pressure on olmert	01:16	\|	irv	27/12/07

25.	Olmert and Company	01:58	\|	Larry	27/12/07

26.	Israel`s political system corrupt to the core	02:02	\|	Jon	27/12/07

27.	Toppling Olmert is not enough	03:03	\|	Frank	27/12/07

28.	time to clean house	03:14	\|	Mark Katzman	27/12/07

29.	So get out there with the families and block the streets	05:00	\|	ZADOK	27/12/07

30.	olmert refuses to resign	07:05	\|	marv	27/12/07

31.	force Olmert out?---joke of the day	07:36	\|	joe	27/12/07

32.	Olmert - GO HOME!!!	07:38	\|	Sallyz	27/12/07

33.	By all means, I am with the bereaved families!	09:14	\|	S	27/12/07

34.	Only now I perused the first 29 posts. 100% against Olmert!!	09:19	\|	S	27/12/07

35.	Nobody is surprised	14:22	\|	Zev	27/12/07

36.	PINES-PINES CHICKEN MANEUVERS	15:05	\|	Brant	27/12/07

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