Subscribe to Print Edition | Fri., February 01, 2008 Shvat 25, 5768 | | Israel Time: 11:03 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Defense Minister Ehud Barak. (Daniel Bar On / Jini) Last update - 08:44 01/02/2008 Senior Labor Party sources: Barak expected to stay in office By Mazal Mualem and Yossi Verter, Haaretz Correspondents Tags: Winograd, Israel, Olmert  Defense Minister and Labor party chair Ehud Barak is expected to decide how to respond to the final Winograd Report at the beginning of next week. The report was publicized on Wednesday. Senior Labor Party members and sources outside politics agreed Thursday that Barak would outline a plan that includes harsh criticism for how the Second Lebanon War was managed, but would allow him to remain in office despite pledges to bring about Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's downfall. B Advertisement arak is expected to make vague statements about bringing forward elections, but to rely on "national considerations and the importance of stable government and the army's rehabilitation against the Iranian threat" to stay in office. Olmert Thursday sent a personal message to Barak. Senior Labor Party emissaries delivered Olmert's pleas that Barak not withdraw from the coalition "for the good of the nation and the army's continued rehabilitation." Olmert sought to tell Barak that the Winograd report, which addresses the army's failures in the Second Lebanon War, mandates that he stay at the defense ministry in the coming years. Olmert associates confirmed Thursday that the message was sent to Labor Party figures. Thursday night, Barak met with two leaders of the reservists' protest, Tomer Buhadana and Yakir Segev, and told them the Winograd report was "harsh." However, he did not reveal his plans. Inside Labor, Barak faces conflicting pressures: cabinet ministers are pushing him to stay in the Olmert government while Knesset members Ophir Pines-Paz, Eitan Cabel and Danny Yatom are calling on him to fulfill his promise to have Olmert replaced or to bring about early elections, a pledge he made in a speech at Kibbutz Sdot Yam in early May. Pines-Paz is acting to hogtie Barak and has officially asked Cabel, Labor's secretary general, to convene the party's central committee to ratify the "Sdot Yam declaration." Barak has been accelerating his consultations with Labor ministers Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, Isaac Herzog and Shalom Simhon, as well as with other MKs and former MKs. However, he has refrained from holding any broad forums or revealing his final decision. Related articles: PM: Winograd report 'lifts moral stigma' from me Peretz: Lebanon War was missed opportunity, but had to be done Calls growing within Labor for Barak to quit Olmert coalition Over to you, Ehud! ANALYSIS: Mixed verdict in war report leaves protesters in a quandary 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.   Barak needs to step down and NEW Elections Held NOW 06:09  |  Shepherd 01/02/08   2.   Barak, please do not disappoint us 09:28  |  Proud Israeli 01/02/08   3.   office 10:09  |  colin 01/02/08   4.   A MAN WHO CANNOT KEEP A PROMISE CANNOT LEAD!!!!! 10:11  |  Joe 01/02/08   5.   Barak 10:16  |  Basrrieg 01/02/08   6.   What do you expect from Mr. Flip Flop! 10:36  |  Avraham 01/02/08

Today Online Three wounded in attack on Israeli embassy in Mauritania Responses: 20 Colette Avital: Evangelical donations to Israel are disturbing Send response Amos Harel: Israel can't afford such a poor army Send response Gadi BenMark: Israel needs an Arabic version of 'Hatikva' Send response Amnesty Int'l: Israel's war crimes ignored by Winograd report Responses: 26 Rosner's Domain Not despite Iraq - because of Iraq Has the era of Orthodox women rabbis arrived? (WTR) Rosner's Guest: Too many Jewish organizations? Poll: Is there a "constant virulent campaign" against Obama? The campaign for Darfur has achieved all its goals - but one More Headlines 10:55 Three hurt in attack on Israeli embassy in Mauritania 10:01 Top IDF brass: Winograd war report is an 'earthquake' 08:44 Senior Labor Party sources: Barak expected to stay in office 10:02 Haaretz-Dialog poll: Third of public calls for Olmert to stay 08:49 Construction halted at site near J'lem despite pledge to Shas 10:57 UNESCO chief: We are trying to mediate over Temple Mount bridge 07:33 U.S. primaries / The final Republican face-off before Super Tuesday 06:41 Study: Arab women most exploited group in Israeli workforce 23:47 Israel's new TESCAR spy satellite transmits first top quality images 01:51 Amnesty Int'l: Winograd report fails to address Israel's war crimes 06:04 Solana, Blair to travel to Middle East next week to discuss Gaza border crisis 07:23 Israeli reality TV series 'Survivor' causing ecological damage 21:35 Brazil judge bans carnival float depicting naked Holocaust victims Previous Editions Select Day 31 jan 30 jan 29 jan 28 jan 27 jan 25 jan 24 jan 23 jan 22 jan 21 jan 20 jan 18 jan

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