NYT : Israel’s Defense Chief Supports War Inquiry

Israel’s Defense Chief Supports War Inquiry

by STEVEN ERLANGER | September 1, 2006

JERUSALEM, Sept. 1 — Bowing to rebels in his own Labor Party, Defense Minister Amir Peretz of Israel called today for a full independent inquiry into the recent war in Lebanon, changing his previous position and putting him publicly at odds with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Mr. Olmert, of the Kadima party, announced earlier in the week that such a state commission, appointed by the Supreme Court, was unnecessary. Instead, he announced two government-controlled investigations, one into the military’s performance and one into the government’s. The country’s comptroller-general also will look into the preparations and performance of local government officials.

Mr. Peretz, elected head of the Labor Party not long before the March 28 elections, was considered an unlikely defense minister, and his own performance during the war has been widely criticized, with many calling for his resignation. He himself appointed a panel, headed by an aide and former general, to look into the military’s performance, and was widely criticized again for trying to control the inquiry.

Mr. Peretz then halted the work of his own commission and appeared to back Mr. Olmert. With 19 seats in the 120-seat Parliament, Labor is a junior partner in the government with Kadima, which as 29 seats. But senior members of Labor, some of whom opposed Mr. Peretz, a former trade-union leader, have seen a chance to tame him or even pull him down. They have pressed him to support a full state inquiry, which he has now done.

They have also pressed Mr. Peretz to push for more social spending on the state budget than Mr. Olmert wants, especially given the need to increase the military budget and to try to carry out Mr. Olmert’s own plan for political salvation — the rehabilitation and modernization of northern Israel and the Negev.

Mr. Olmert, needless to say, was reported by Israeli media to be less than happy with Mr. Peretz’s latest change of position. Olmert aides, without being named, were quoted as saying that Mr. Peretz had caved in to political pressure and was again showing his inexperience.

But Mr. Olmert does not want to break apart the coalition now and call new elections he is almost sure to lose in the immediate aftermath of the war. He is reportedly talking to Avigdor Lieberman, whose right-wing, Russian-based party did well in the elections, about joining the government. Now that Mr. Olmert has shelved his plan for a new pullout of settlers from the West Bank — a shelving that his advisers insist is “temporary” — he and Mr. Lieberman have fewer differences. But Mr. Lieberman is reluctant to prop up a government that is not expected to last more than a year.

Mr. Peretz may not last as Labor leader, either.

A senior Labor figure, Infrastructure Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, criticized Mr. Peretz today for "zigzagging in his stance" on the Lebanon war. “I don’t understand what you’re scared of and why you’re capitulating to pressure,’’ Mr. Ben-Eliezer said in a Labor party meeting, according to Israel Radio. “This is a mistake.’’

Tourism Minister Isaac Herzog of Labor also criticized the idea of a state commission, calling it “a recipe for paralysis.’’ Another senior Labor figure, Ophir Pines-Paz, minister of science and technology and a steady internal critic of the war, praised Mr. Peretz, “who, after deliberation, chose the correct position.’’

Mr. Peretz himself said: "I have reached the conclusion that in order to maintain equal standards for all, to maintain transparency of examination, to maintain the feeling of confidence between the public and the examination process, it is appropriate that we go toward a state commission of inquiry.’’

Despite Mr. Peretz’s switch, Mr. Olmert is expected to have little trouble getting approval from the full cabinet for his government commissions.

In Stockholm, foreign donors pledged nearly $500 million in aid for the Palestinian territories, but only $57.8 million was earmarked for a special United Nations appeal to help Palestinians most in need. Sweden promised $7.7 million to rebuild a Gaza power station whose transformers were destroyed by Israel.

The United Nations relief coordinator Jan Egelund called Gaza “a ticking time bomb’’ and described Palestinians as “living in a cage.’’ He said that in the last 25 years in which he has visited Palestinian lands, “I’ve never seen so much hatred and bitterness as during my last visit there.’’

Israel says it must control the border crossings, which are often closed, because of security threats. Israeli troops are back in Gaza to try to secure the release of a soldier captured on June 25.

In a separate meeting, donors pledged $940 million in aid for Lebanon.

The European Union foreign ministers, meeting in Finland, called for a revival of the Middle East peace process, and the union’s foreign-policy chief, Javier Solana, said Europe would be willing to talk to a Palestinian unity government, even if it included members of Hamas.

The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, is trying to form such a government between his Fatah faction and Hamas, which runs the Palestinian Authority. Hamas has refused demands from the United States, Europe, Russia and the United Nations to recognize Israel’s right to exist, forswear violence and accept previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements. In consequence, significant budgetary aid has been cut off, and Israel has refused to hand over tax and customs receipts.

Mr. Abbas hopes that a unity government, even if Hamas leads it, will open up the aid spigot. Europe had agreed with Washington not to talk to any members of Hamas, which is considered a terrorist group.

Europe is also seeking ways to end the stalemate between Israel and the Palestinians and is trying to promote new peace talks at an international conference based on Israel returning roughly to its pre-1967 boundaries except for agreed land swaps — essentially what former President Bill Clinton was trying to achieve. At the same time, the Arab League is trying to revive a plan that calls for recognition of Israel if it gives up all territory occupied in 1967, including East Jerusalem, which Israel annexed.

“It’s time for Europe to awaken U.S. leadership,’’ Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos of Spain told Reuters. The Dutch foreign minister, Bernard Bot, said: “We have to take an initiative; this is the moment, the time is ripe for the European Union to act decisively to approach the United States.’’

Israel says it sees no basis for renewed talks so long as the Palestinian Authority is run by Hamas, which refuses to accept its right to exist, and Palestinian militant groups are not disarmed.