By Xinhua
Jerusalem : Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak Sunday announced his intention to remain in the government despite a “harsh” final report on the Lebanon War in 2006, incurring criticism from the opposition as well as members of his own party, local media reported on their websites.
“I am going to continue to function as the defense minister because I see the challenges ahead of us – Gaza, Hezbollah, Syria, Iran, as well as the improvement of the army,” Barak, also the Labor party chairman, said during a press conference before the weekly cabinet meeting.
Barak had promised to pull his party out of the coalition cabinet after the Winograd Committee released its final report on the Second Lebanon War.
The final report, which was released last Wednesday, concludes that “major faults were found on all levels during the war,” but it stopped short of blaming Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert personally and said he made “reasonable” decisions during the war.
“The Winograd report was harsh, and it has implications and complicated conclusions regarding both individuals and ethical issues. I intend to address these conclusions when the time is right, and set a date for elections,” Barak was quoted as saying.
The defense minister said he knew he might pay a political price for staying in the government, adding that he had not forgotten his pledge during Labor party primaries last year, but that the “situation today is different.”
However, Barak came under fire Sunday from the opposition as well as members of his own party. Labor Secretary-General Eitan Cabel expressed disappointment with Barak’s comments, telling Israeli Army Radio, “The Winograd findings are harsh, and we must continue to take an ethical stance, despite the good reasons we have to stay in the government.”
“This was an opportunity for the Labor Party and its leader to rectify the situation in the eyes of the public, which expects leadership, morality, and ethics,” continued Cabel. “I fear we may pay a very heavy price for this decision.”
Meretz Chairman Yossi Beilin called Barak’s decision “shameful” and a “severe mistake.”
“He gave up the opportunity he had to force the replacement of the prime minister and kept Olmert in a position that the Winograd Committee has concluded he cannot fill,” said Beilin.
The Likud added its voice to the condemnation of Barak’s decision, saying in a statement that “Barak has proven that he gives priority to his own political survival at the expense of the best interests of the country, which require him to replace the leadership.”
Kadima officials, however, welcomed the move. “(This is) an expression of both national responsibility and a deep understanding of the State of Israel’s needs, which are a central part of implementing the Winograd Committee’s findings with an emphasis on the training and preparedness of the Israel Defense Forces to handle threats,” said Immigrant Absorption Minister Ze’ev Boim.