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Defense Minister Ehud Barak. (Jini Archives)
Last update - 07:23 13/02/2008
Barak says ministerial calls for action in Gaza are 'dangerous'
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Gaza, Turkey, Israel, Barak

ANKARA - Defense Minister Ehud Barak Tuesday criticized calls by other ministers for stepped-up military action in the Gaza Strip, claiming that such ministerial remarks give the enemy detailed and damaging information.

He made the statements after arriving in Ankara for a two-day visit, during which he will meet with Turkey's president, prime minister, foreign minister, defense minister and chief of staff.

Speaking to the Israeli correspondents who accompanied him, Barak said that he saw no danger in journalists speculating about a major military operation, but "it becomes dangerous when people with security experience give the names of targets for attack. The targets will simply disappear." He was apparently referring to proposals that Israel assassinate Hamas's political leaders, which has been suggested by several ministers, including Shaul Mofaz, who has previously served as both defense minister and army chief of staff.
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Barak insisted that there are good reasons for the fact that the Israel Defense Forces are not yet operating at full strength in Gaza. "When the time comes for this, we will do it," he said. "It won't be a one- or two-day operation."

The government, he added, must "act wisely, responsibly and with judgment, not on the basis of fleeting moods." There is a proper decision-making process for such issues, he said, and the government must keep its cool, despite the public outrage that the ongoing rocket fire from Gaza has generated.

At a brief press conference with his Turkish counterpart, Vecdi Gonul, Barak said that he had used their meeting to explain the irrationality of Israel's still being subject to rocket attacks from Gaza, even after it withdrew from every inch of the Strip. He also said he had warned Gonul that if the attacks continue, Israel will have to escalate its response.

The Turkish government is already unhappy with Israel's military operations in Gaza: Two weeks ago, for instance, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at the number of Palestinians killed in these operations, saying that Qassam rockets do not kill, so Israel has no justification for lethal responses. Barak also discussed those comments during his meetings yesterday.

Other topics of discussion included the negotiations with the Palestinians and the tensions with Damascus following Israel's attack on an alleged Syrian nuclear facility in September.

Israel hopes that Turkey can play a role in easing those tensions.

Barak declined to comment on wire service reports that Turkish officials had passed on a message from Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Gonul thanked Barak for Israel's lease of a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle), which Turkey has been using in its operations against Kurdish guerrillas based in northern Iraq. The two countries are also discussing Turkey's purchase of a satellite from Israel, he noted.

Barak met with Erdogan Tuesday night, and will meet Wednesday morning with President Abdullah Gul and the chief of staff, General Yasar Buyukanit. He will return to Israel Wednesday afternoon.

During the trip, he has received regular updates about security developments in Israel, in particular regarding the Gaza front.


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      1.   "must act wisely"? The wise men of Chelm had more brains than you 03:18  |  Alan 13/02/08
      2.   keep a cool head 03:21  |  K 13/02/08
      3.   I`m sure Slowman is already stacking up the messages 03:54  |  Pablo B 13/02/08
      4.   ministerial statements 04:03  |  marcel 13/02/08
      5.   lashing out at the number of palestinians killed? 04:08  |  sam 13/02/08
      6.   Gaza is the true face of the enemy & must remain untourched. 05:07  |  Akram Zekaria 13/02/08
      7.   gaza 06:34  |  colin 13/02/08
      8.   Varying degrees of disaster 07:05  |  Natallie Durson 13/02/08
      9.   Natallie Durson #8 10:02  |  S 13/02/08
      10.   Barak is the one who is dangerous! 10:10  |  Saba Avraham 13/02/08
      11.   ARAFAT WAS MURDERED BY MOFAZ ORDER 10:14  |  indrajaya 13/02/08
      12.   Be as patient with Gaza as Turks are with Kurds 10:24  |  Tom Smitsloo 13/02/08
      13.   What is Barak waiting for ? 10:24  |  Jean Van Daem 13/02/08
      14.   BARAK VS MOFAZ 10:29  |  indrajaya 13/02/08
      15.   Israel`s politicians all have big, flappy, self-important mouths 10:35  |  Clickfool 13/02/08
      16.   Sam and his definition of "terrorists" 10:38  |  Minda 13/02/08
      17.   Pals position: war of independence 10:55  |  Jan Elshout 13/02/08
      18.   #9, S 11:01  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/02/08
      19.   FROM THE STONES TO THE ROCKETS !! 11:18  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 13/02/08
      20.   FROM THE ROCKETS TO ...... ? 11:19  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 13/02/08
      21.   CANT YOU SEE ! PALESTINIANS ARE READY TO DIE FOR HOME ? 11:20  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 13/02/08
      22.   Cipora - Natallie Durson is the enemy? # 18 11:20  |  Clickfool 13/02/08
      23.   GAZA WONT LOSE 11:20  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 13/02/08
      24.   1.5 MILLION PEOPLE LIVE THERE AS PRISONER ! 11:21  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 13/02/08
      25.   ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO WIN AGAINST TO PEOPLE ! 11:22  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 13/02/08
      26.   MILITARY SOLUTIONS CANT END ANYTHING, ANYMORE 11:23  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 13/02/08
      27.   YOU CANT HURT PEOPLE ALWAYS ! 11:23  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 13/02/08
      28.   HAMAS IS NOT THAT WORST FOR ISRAEL 11:24  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 13/02/08
      29.   HAMAS IS THE FIRST CRY OF A PEOPLE 11:25  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 13/02/08
      30.   HAMAS HAS MILLION NAMES ... 11:27  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 13/02/08
      31.   protection from gaza attacks 11:28  |  chaim grosz 13/02/08
      32.   HAMAS MUST BE DIRTY, HAMAS MUST FIGHT DIRTY 11:28  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 13/02/08
      33.   THE ISRAEL IS NOT AN ANGLE 11:29  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 13/02/08
      34.   RECOGNISE PALESTINIAN RIGHTS BEFORE YOU LOSE YOURS 11:29  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 13/02/08
      35.   TO LET PALESTINIANS BREATH WILL MAKE ISRAEL MUCH GOOD 11:30  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 13/02/08
      36.   DONT MAKE THE FIGHT MUCH BIGGER, YOU CANT HANDLE 11:31  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 13/02/08
      37.   NEW ISRAEL, NEW PAGE ...ALWAYS WELLCOME TO OUR HEARTS 11:33  |  ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU 13/02/08
      38.   ISRAEL IS GOOD PEOPLE. THEY DESERVE TO BE LOVED. 11:35  |  ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU 13/02/08
      39.   ONE VOICE, ONE ISRAEL. 11:36  |  ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU 13/02/08
      40.   THE HOPE NATION CANT AND WONT TAKE THE HOPES OF OTHERS 11:36  |  ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU 13/02/08
      41.   Clickfool #15 Unfortunately Israel`s politicians fully deserve 11:37  |  S 13/02/08
      42.   ISRAEL IS WORLD SUCCESS. WE ALL HAVE RIGHTS ON HER 11:38  |  ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU 13/02/08
      43.   WE ! WORLD PEOPLE, ALTOGETHER BUILDED ISRAEL 11:38  |  ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU 13/02/08
      44.   so called `minda` or `affiliated organ` 11:39  |  x-ray 13/02/08
      45.   IF ISRAEL NOT FOR PEACE, WE CAN ALSO DESTROY IT. 11:39  |  ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU 13/02/08
      46.   IN SHORT ! I LOVE ISRAEL, THIS IS MY STANDING. BYE. 11:41  |  ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU 13/02/08
      47.   terrorists, Sam 11:43  |  Murray 13/02/08
      48.   Killing Hamas political leadership mistake 11:55  |  Machiavelli Spinoza 13/02/08
      49.   Cipora #18 11:56  |  S 13/02/08
      50.   Call for Action 12:08  |  Massein 13/02/08
      51.   #9 S, lets examine each of Israel`s military 12:13  |  spyguy 13/02/08
      52.   Atilla Karagözoğlu 12:13  |  S 13/02/08
      53.   #31 chaim grosz - any invasion of Gaza 12:21  |  spyguy 13/02/08
      54.   spyguy #51 Do you consider your post an answer to my question? 12:40  |  S 13/02/08
      55.   #53 Spy Guy 12:58  |  chaim Grosz 13/02/08
      56.   #54 S, you are very preceptive - there is NO 13:25  |  spyguy 13/02/08
      57.   #55 chaim Grosz - an army that is afraid of death 13:48  |  spyguy 13/02/08
      58.   Dangerous X-Ray 14:13  |  Minda 13/02/08
      59.   another Barak U turn 14:18  |  zionist forever 13/02/08
      60.   Visiting Turkey? 14:25  |  Brod 13/02/08
      61.   Olmert knows what he is doing 14:27  |  Genuine Tosefta 13/02/08
      62.   #61 15:03  |  zionist forever 13/02/08
      63.   A "measured approach"in Gaza means... 15:05  |  Minda 13/02/08
      64.   spyguy you say you`re a no bullshit guy 15:07  |  Iz Ray Leigh 13/02/08
      65.   Minda 15:08  |  x-ray 13/02/08
      66.   Barak on "Walls have ears"!! 16:01  |  Stephen. 13/02/08
      67.   Non starter 16:08  |  guy 13/02/08
      68.   #62 16:34  |  Chayim 13/02/08
      69.   spyguy after operation defensive shield 16:47  |  englander 13/02/08
      70.   # 8. Natallie. Wriiten like a true trooper. 16:49