Majority of Israelis – 73 pc - want Olmert to resign in face of negative Lebanon War panel report - Barak should go too, according to 63 pc polled
January 30, 2008, 1:33 PM (GMT+02:00)
Israel’s political maelstrom climaxed for the publication Wednesday night, Jan. 30, of the Winograd inquiry commission’s final conclusions on the management of the Lebanon War of summer 2006. Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert has been marshalling support against Lebanon War protesters’ push for his resignation.
The panel’s interim report last year seriously denigrated the performance of the prime minister, the defense minister, the rest of the cabinet and the top IDF command. Most of those named stepped down, excepting Ehud Olmert, who insists on staying on in the face of gathering popular demands for his resignation and a clean sweep of the national leadership.
The new defense minister, Labor leader Ehud Barak has gone on record as pledging to respond to a negative Winograd commission report by quitting government or calling for an early election. He has since amended this by saying he would do what was best for the country. In so doing, he has made himself a second target for the protesters.
Tuesday night, prime minister Ehud Olmert’s close adviser Finance Minister Ronnie Bar-On said that an early election was not on the cards.
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