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Last update - 22:10 30/01/2008 Kadima rallies around Olmert, urges Barak to stay in gov't By Barak Ravid and Shahar Ilan, Haaretz Correspondents, Haaretz Staff and New Agencies Tags: Olmert, Winograd, Israel  Kadima MKs rallied around Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Wednesday, calling on Defense Minister Ehud Barak to remain in the government in the wake of the Winograd Committee's final report on the Second Lebanon War. Vice Premier Haim Ramon, a close confidante of Olmert, said Barak must demonstrate national responsibility and remain in the government. Ramon said holding elections now would be extremely irresponsible, and that Barak must give precedence to national considerations over his promise during the Labor primaries to pull the party out of the government ahead of the war report's release. Advertisement The vice premier also accused Olmert's detractors, and first and foremost opposition chairman Benjamin Netanyahu, of waging a blood libel campaign against the prime minister in recent days. "Those who led the libel [campaign] spoke of corrupt spin, and the report completely vindicates the prime minister in that it determined that the decision to launch the final ground operation was essential and reasonable, and all those who shed [Olmert's] blood must ask his forgiveness." Coalition chairman Eli Aflalo (Kadima) said that "the irresponsible attempts by the opposition and Netanyahu to assassinate the prime minister's character, have come to an end. The committee determined that the decision to order a ground incursion was responsible and displayed good judgment. Netanyahu and his chorus of lunatics should apologize." Olmert claims vindication, vows to implement recommendations Olmert vowed to implement the report's recommendations, while at the same time saying the investigation vindicated him. Olmert takes the recommendations with "complete seriousness," an official Prime Minister's Office statement said, adding that the government would in the coming days begin the "process of implementing the recommendations" contained in the final report. Olmert has no intention of resigning in the wake of the report, Cabinet Secretary Oved Yehezkel told Army Radio on Wednesday. Olmert told a senior Kadima Party official following the report's publication Wednesday that he feels vindicated on his decision to launch a major ground operation in the final days of the conflict. "At least regarding the final 60 hours, justice has come to light," the official quoted Olmert as saying. Committee chairman Eliyahu Winograd said in presenting the report Wednesday evening that the decision to launch the Israel Defense Forces' final ground offensive in the last 60 hours of the war had been an essential one, although the operation had failed to achieve "any military objectives." Likud: Winograd report is harsh, Olmert must quit The Likud faction, meanwhile, issued a statement calling the report harsh and demanding that Olmert resign. According to the Likud, the report placed responsibility for the war's failures squarely on the shoulders of the political echelon headed by the prime minister, who must therefore take personal responsibility and step down. The Likud statement also called on Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who had vowed to pull his Labor Party out of the government by the release of the final report, to fulfill his promise to resign. "If Barak was looking for an excuse in the report to avoid resigning, he didn't find it," the statement said. "This is a serious indictment that constitutes an earthquake in the political echelon," said Likud MK Silvan Shalom. "The report found grave failures and faults, that alternatives were not examined, nor was the readiness of the army or home front." "All these things require Defense Minister Barak to make one decision - to resign from the government and support early elections," he said. Likud MK Yuval Steinitz added, "This is the harhest report in the state's [history]. It says the prime minister conducted a war in a failed, negligent, and amateur manner like never before." Sources close to Barak it is impossible to ignore the difficulties and failures exposed by the report, which more or less was what the defense minister had expected. Barak's media advisor said, however, that the defense minister does not intend to respond to the report at this time, nor would his office respond the sources' comments. MK Arieh Eldad (National Religious Party-National Union) said Wednesday that Olmert has entered history as Israel's worst leader. "The verdict has been sealed. The citizens of Israel will settle the score with the puppets in the government that enabled a failed and irresponsible leader to continue leading the state." Fellow National Religious Party-National Union MK Zevulun Orlev called on Olmert to resign over the report's findings. "If Olmert evades taking personal responsibility, Barak must be true to his word and dismantle the government," he said. Pines-Paz: Second Lebanon War was a 'colossal failure' Knesset Interior and Environment Committee Chairman Ophir Pines-Paz called the report "very harsh," adding that the war was a "colossal failure." The Labor MK, who has repeatedly called on Olmert to resign and himself quit the government in protest, said the committee took a moderate tone due to the fact that it was under "immense pressure." Meretz Chairman Yossi Beilin said his party would "continue to demand that Olmert end his term, all the more so in the wake of the report." "The final Winograd report strengthens the impression that critical decisions on Israel's future were made without proper judgment," Beilin said. Fellow Meretz MK Haim Oron said "there is no reason for the sigh of relief being heard from the Prime Minister's Office, and there is no reason for the right-wing's celebrations, for they were partners to the failure." The partial report released by the panel in April 2007 was less forgiving of the prime minister, finding that Olmert and the government had displayed poor decision-making skills and lack of judgment. "The decision to respond [to the cross-border attack] with an immediate, intensive military strike was not based on a detailed, comprehensive and authorized military plan..." and that "The Prime Minister made up his mind hastily, despite the fact that no detailed military plan was submitted to him and without asking for one." Olmert spent most of Wednesday in a series of meetings, trying to project a business-as-usual demeanor as the hours counted down to the report's release. The prime minister received the report from the Winograd Committee at 5 P.M. local time, shortly before the panel held a press conference to present the report's principal conclusions. Olmert has repeatedly said he would not step down after the findings are released. Finance Minister Roni Bar-On, said in comments broadcast on Israeli radio stations Wednesday that the prime minister would not agree to elections ahead of the scheduled 2010 date. "I tell you there will not be elections," Bar-On said. "The prime minister is determined on this matter." The report deals with the last 28 days of the 34-day conflict, triggered by a cross-border attack by fighters from the Lebanese-based Hezbollah organization. Three Israel Defense Forces soldiers were killed in the July 12 attack and two - Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev - were abducted. Another five soldiers died in an unsuccessful attempt to rescue their two comrades. Reservists, bereaved families call on Barak to keep promise to quit IDF reservist soldiers that served in the war and bereaved familes who lost their close ones in combat protested outside Defense Minister Ehud Barak's house in Tel Aviv. The demonstrators waited in the stormy and cold weather in a tent to hear the Winograd panel's main findings read at the press conference in Jerusalem. The families and reservists are reiterating their plea for Barak to fulfill his promise to resign from the government. The tent has signs reading, "Barak: You made a promise, you keep it" and "33 people for a spin." The demonstrators sang protest songs against Olmert and calling for his resignation. Liora Hasson, mother of Guy Hasson, 24, who was killed on the last day of combat, stood in the tent in anticipation of those arriving to join the protest. Her shirt read, "We remember you Guy." "I expect that the prime minister will stand up and say three sentences: 'I tried doing the best I could, I was unsuccessful, I am taking responsibility and resigning.' This is what Israel deserves. We have no other country or land. The children need to serve in the army, and it cannot be that a leader in the State of Israel will send soldiers to mission and won't stand behind them," she said. Hasson maintained that, "Peretz knew to get out on time. Halutz watched closely and knew exactly when to leave. Until this day, I am waiting for those two who did not come to the shiva to console us." Hasson says that in the past two days she did not sleep out of anticipation. "I owe it to al the boys who sacrificed their lives in the war to protect this home." She says that "Even now tears overflow when I remember the conversation on the 11th of August 2006 with Guy. On the 13th Guy was killed, and on the 14th Olmert signed [agreed to] the cease-fire. Those three days are what I will be thinking of when I hear Winograd." Hasson looks at a sticker with her son's face on it, wipes a tear, and hangs her head. "A complete missed opportunity," she says. More on the Winograd Report: The partial Winograd report of April 2007 War probe panel 'shocked' by IDF performance in Lebanon war PM's camp pressures Labor to stay in coalition post-Winograd Reservists plan protest to 'help Barak decide' to resign Bookmark to del.icio.us   Painful lessons The IDF has already learnt lessons of the Second Lebanon War. Brothers in guilt 'We are all guilty; is an effective summary of the final Winograd report.   1.   "Olmert has repeatedly said he would not step down..." 17:34  |  bat yam 30/01/08   2.   Olmert & his continuous deceitful spin. 19:19  |  common sense 30/01/08   3.   And the Likud ?! 20:07  |  Esther 30/01/08   4.   Only Olmerts failure could have me agree with Pines! 21:13  |  Avi 30/01/08   5.   2 ways to bring down the Olmert Govt. 21:15  |  Rabbi Yakov Lazaros 30/01/08   6.   My heart goes out to the families of lost soldiers 21:19  |  Avi 30/01/08   7.   The Rabbi Ovadia Yosef blessing fabrication could work 21:27  |  Avi 30/01/08   8.   war analysis reports loss 21:48  |  yoni 30/01/08   9.   This is why Kadima, Olmert & Friends Must Be Not Relected 21:51  |  Shepherd 30/01/08   10.   Vice Premier Haim Ramon is afrad of new elections 22:06  |  Fed Up With Olmert 30/01/08   11.   To# 1. And Yes He shouldn`t and be proud of it. 22:12  |  Simon Mohammed 30/01/08   12.   KADIMA SPIN AND LIES 22:27  |  Sam Stein 30/01/08   13.   1973 vs 2008 22:28  |  Alex 30/01/08   14.   Democracy Lesson 22:58  |  ZADOK 30/01/08   15.   Olmert should go 23:05  |  Hilda 30/01/08   16.   The Failures Started At The Top Olmert Needs To Go 23:19  |  Shepherd 30/01/08   17.   olmert and nasrallah 23:28  |  mike 30/01/08   18.   Winograd criticized last operation 23:59  |  Dr. Aaron Lerner 30/01/08   19.   Is the Left a Dogma with a Samsonic death wish ? 00:06  |  Akram Zekaria 31/01/08   20.   Meretzites Sounding Off ? These Numnuts Should Hide in A Corner 00:08  |  Tod Zuckerman 31/01/08   21.   So is Barak a pudel or a lion? 00:17  |  Anita 31/01/08   22.   Olmert, stay ! 00:22  |  Esther 31/01/08   23.   Sitting in your rooms and crying on talkback wont ....... 00:36  |  IL Supporter 31/01/08   24.   Wow.... 00:40  |  Esther 31/01/08   25.   Olmert Gov`t Must Resign , Disengagement Must Be Rejected 00:46  |  Joseph . E 31/01/08   26.   Hedonistic Policies are those that appease , concede and tagged a 00:49  |  Joseph . E 31/01/08   27.   Olmert OUT , Kadima Go Home , Trash Illegal Disengagement 00:51  |  Joseph . E 31/01/08   28.   Olmert should stay with Ramon and Barak with Mubarak 02:14  |  Sal 31/01/08   29.   We are ALL GUILTY........ 02:27  |  Dagma 31/01/08   30.   Kadima should throw a party and ignore reality altogether 02:34  |  Ethan 31/01/08   31.   Olmert the "warrior" 02:39  |  Frank 31/01/08   32.   Its ALWAYS the Man at the TOP ! 02:57  |  Dolly 31/01/08   33.   Is it better to have Olmert stick around awhile and destoy the... 03:44  |  Chaim 31/01/08   34.   Is it better to have Olmert stick around awhile and destoy the... 03:44  |  Chaim 31/01/08   35.   cut the bs / lets get back to lebanon 04:24  |  tony 31/01/08

Today Online Ahmadinejad tells West: Accept Israel's 'imminent collapse' Responses: 307 Winograd: Final ground op 'did not achieve military goals' Responses: 110 Amira Hass: Finally, there's a popular uprising in Gaza Responses: 89 UN envoy: Gaza women feel coerced into covering heads Responses: 105 High Court okays cutting fuel and power to Gaza Responses: 111 Rosner's Domain The campaign for Darfur has achieved all its goals - but one Rosner's Guest: Israelis do not know enough about Jewish Diaspora Jewish vote in Florida: 58% for Clinton (WTR) Poll: Is there a "constant virulent campaign" against Obama? Back to divestment from Israel (WTR) More Headlines 04:34 Winograd lays blame for war failings on IDF 04:11 IDF says was 'well aware' of flaws before Winograd Report 22:01 Winograd: Final ground op 'did not achieve military goals', but approving it was essential step 03:22 Protest movement seeks to get to Olmert through Barak 22:59 ANALYSIS: Winograd Committee report says 'we are all guilty' 22:03 German cabinet will visit Israel to mark Jewish state's 60th year 02:42 Giuliani quits Republican presidential race, endorses McCain 19:28 Egyptian police kill two Africans during bid to cross into Israel 02:22 Jerusalem officials praise public's response to snowstorm 17:13 High Court okays reducing fuel and power supply to Gaza Strip 20:50 Hezbollah: War report will corner Olmert, make him lose credibility 20:07 Israel to send thousands of vaccines to Gaza after border breach 22:10 Kadima rallies around Olmert, urges Barak to stay in gov't Previous Editions Select Day 30 jan 29 jan 28 jan 27 jan 25 jan 24 jan 23 jan 22 jan 21 jan 20 jan 18 jan 17 jan

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