Olmert Briefs Foreign Affairs And Defense Committee
Olmert: No restraints in campaign against SyriaPM tells Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that war in Lebanon served as deterring element against Damascus; says realignment plan suspended for now due to 'change in priorities'
For the first time since the war in the north began, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert arrived Monday for a meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, to brief its members.
"What we have done in Lebanon amounts to a deterring element against the Syrians, because they now realize that while in Lebanon we have restrained our use of force, in a campaign against them we will not adhere to such restraints," the PM stated.
Olmert referred to the decision to shelf the realignment plan for the time being. "Something has changed, the priorities I thought to be the right ones before are not relevant for now."
MK Ran Cohen (Meretz) said that the PM's performance was articulate and well thought-out, "but underneath the statements there was a clear message negating negotiations with Syria and with the Palestinians, a message against the realignment and a State commission of inquiry."
At the opening of his words, Olmert referred to reports in the Arab press about an emerging deal for the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, and said he was unaware of such a deal.
MK Limor Livnat (Likud) said in response to Olmert's statements that "the prime minister didn't firmly say he is taking back his statements from his realignment plan. The prime minister remains arrogant even while the Knesset chairperson is considering the creation of a national emergency government. He does not feel the country is in a state of emergency, and this is the strange thing about it."
MK Silvan Shalom (Likud) added regarding the issue of the captives: "We could have made a deal to return the captives before the war and spare many casualties spare the destruction of houses and long stays in shelters. The fact that the captives are not with us show that the goals that the government set up for itself have not been reached. This is why a commission of inquiry is necessary, to investigate the failures of the war."
This is nothing more than Olmert trying to spin the war into something good.
He should have come out strong against his own plan of realignment saying that Israel will never give up land again rather than what he said is that the time is not correct.
He also didn't tell the committee that the IDF was to under go an emergency training and supply effort.
Ilan Marciano
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