In a speech to the nation delivered in the Katyusha-battered port city of Haifa,
Olmert said such a commission – which would have the power to recommend the dismissal of government ministers and IDF commanders – was “not what the nation needs.”
Olmert claimed that such an investigation would completely paralyze, "for a long period of time, the top of the military and security leadership, including the IDF command... in fear of the verdict. Many will quickly equip themselves with top lawyers, create narratives, cleanse themselves of guilt and, G-d forbid, place the blame on others. This is the nature of things. This is how it goes. This is how it has been... IDF soldiers are still in Lebanon... [We face] the threat from Iran and its Israel-hating president. We do not have the luxury of sinking into years of investigations into the past, which have nothing to do with learning lessons or preparation for the future."
He maintained, instead, that "what we need is an effective, professional inquiry, to examine the issues in depth, draw conclusions, and learn lessons."
Olmert said the government would appoint two investigative committees. One would examine "the functioning of the Government, its proceedings and decision making, and anything else it sees fit to examine." It will be headed by former Mossad chief Nachum Admoni, and will include former Israel Navy head Brig.-Gen. (ret.) Yedidya Ya'ari, Law Professor Ruth Gavison, Professor Yechezkel Dror, and former Air Force Commander and Defense Ministry Director David Ivry.
Israel Prize Laureate and former Cabinet minister Prof. Amnon Rubinstein had been asked to oversee the inquiry, but he declined. He said it would not have sufficient authorities to implement its recommendations.
A second committee - to be headed by former IDF Chief of Staff Amnon Lipkin-Shachak, in accordance with a decision by Defense Minister Amir Peretz over a week ago - will investigate the IDF's functioning during the war.
Law Professor Suzie Navot said that the committees in question are the "weakest ones that could possibly be." Writing in Yisraeli newspaper today, Navot stated that they have no authority to call witnesses or to see documents - though the presence of a judge on the committee could have changed this. She added that the fact that the people to be investigated are also those who appointed it "detracts from the public confidence in the committee."
Olmert said that the Comptroller would be asked to investigate a third aspect of the war, that of home-front readiness. This touched off a storm on the part of the State Comptroller, who said he would not take orders from the Prime Minister.
Olmert said the country did not have the “luxury” of spending time investigating the past, though he acknowledged that errors were made in decisions at the highest levels of government.
Olmert took credit for the decision to go to war, saying, "I want to make one thing clear: the responsibility for the decision to go to war, to react with military force, not to keep quiet over the attack on our soldiers, citizens and sovereignty, as well as the responsibility for the results of the war, is wholly mine."
Responding to one of the main charges against him, Olmert explained why the offensive was intensified, costing the deaths of more soldiers, just as the UN ceasefire proposal was being finalized:
"On Wednesday, August 9, the U.S. government informed us that a process was
ripening which would bring about a ceasefire under conditions which were
acceptable to Israel. The Government, and I as its leader, was convinced that
this opportunity should not be missed. However, in the following days and especially on Friday, August 11, it became clear that the proposed draft of the resolution which would be presented to the Security Council was completely unacceptable to Israel.
Under these circumstances, I instructed the IDF to continue to expand its activity on the ground in the south of Lebanon.
"On Saturday morning, August 12, the resolution was accepted by the UN, largely due to the continuation of Israel's warfare. The IDF was on the move. Hizbollah declared it would continue to fight. The Lebanese government had not yet convened to approve its support of the resolution. Under those circumstances, in agreement with the top command of the IDF, it was necessary for the troops to move forward to ensure that the best possible conditions for us would be achieved."
A Promise to Rescue the Captives
Olmert also addressed the issue of bringing home the IDF soldier captured by Hamas terrorists in the south and the two IDF soldiers kidnapped by Hizbullah terrorists in the north.
He noted that Monday was the 20th birthday of Cpl. Gilad Shalit, who was kidnapped in a June 25th raid by Hamas terrorists on an army outpost at the Kerem Shalom border crossing with Gaza and Egypt.
Acknowledging the many failures in the war, Olmert said “We failed in stopping the Katyushas, we didn’t have a solution for the rocket fire…..and most important, we failed in bringing our sons back home.”
Olmert repeated that the government would do all it could to bring back the captives.
“I, Ehud Olmert, Prime Minister of Israel, promise you that they will return home,” he vowed. “Maybe not as quickly as we’d like, but they will return home.”
Olmert said such a commission – which would have the power to recommend the dismissal of government ministers and IDF commanders – was “not what the nation needs.”
Olmert claimed that such an investigation would completely paralyze, "for a long period of time, the top of the military and security leadership, including the IDF command... in fear of the verdict. Many will quickly equip themselves with top lawyers, create narratives, cleanse themselves of guilt and, G-d forbid, place the blame on others. This is the nature of things. This is how it goes. This is how it has been... IDF soldiers are still in Lebanon... [We face] the threat from Iran and its Israel-hating president. We do not have the luxury of sinking into years of investigations into the past, which have nothing to do with learning lessons or preparation for the future."
He maintained, instead, that "what we need is an effective, professional inquiry, to examine the issues in depth, draw conclusions, and learn lessons."
Olmert said the government would appoint two investigative committees. One would examine "the functioning of the Government, its proceedings and decision making, and anything else it sees fit to examine." It will be headed by former Mossad chief Nachum Admoni, and will include former Israel Navy head Brig.-Gen. (ret.) Yedidya Ya'ari, Law Professor Ruth Gavison, Professor Yechezkel Dror, and former Air Force Commander and Defense Ministry Director David Ivry.
Israel Prize Laureate and former Cabinet minister Prof. Amnon Rubinstein had been asked to oversee the inquiry, but he declined. He said it would not have sufficient authorities to implement its recommendations.
A second committee - to be headed by former IDF Chief of Staff Amnon Lipkin-Shachak, in accordance with a decision by Defense Minister Amir Peretz over a week ago - will investigate the IDF's functioning during the war.
Law Professor Suzie Navot said that the committees in question are the "weakest ones that could possibly be." Writing in Yisraeli newspaper today, Navot stated that they have no authority to call witnesses or to see documents - though the presence of a judge on the committee could have changed this. She added that the fact that the people to be investigated are also those who appointed it "detracts from the public confidence in the committee."
Olmert said that the Comptroller would be asked to investigate a third aspect of the war, that of home-front readiness. This touched off a storm on the part of the State Comptroller, who said he would not take orders from the Prime Minister.
Olmert said the country did not have the “luxury” of spending time investigating the past, though he acknowledged that errors were made in decisions at the highest levels of government.
Olmert took credit for the decision to go to war, saying, "I want to make one thing clear: the responsibility for the decision to go to war, to react with military force, not to keep quiet over the attack on our soldiers, citizens and sovereignty, as well as the responsibility for the results of the war, is wholly mine."
Responding to one of the main charges against him, Olmert explained why the offensive was intensified, costing the deaths of more soldiers, just as the UN ceasefire proposal was being finalized:
"On Wednesday, August 9, the U.S. government informed us that a process was
ripening which would bring about a ceasefire under conditions which were
acceptable to Israel. The Government, and I as its leader, was convinced that
this opportunity should not be missed. However, in the following days and especially on Friday, August 11, it became clear that the proposed draft of the resolution which would be presented to the Security Council was completely unacceptable to Israel.
Under these circumstances, I instructed the IDF to continue to expand its activity on the ground in the south of Lebanon.
"On Saturday morning, August 12, the resolution was accepted by the UN, largely due to the continuation of Israel's warfare. The IDF was on the move. Hizbollah declared it would continue to fight. The Lebanese government had not yet convened to approve its support of the resolution. Under those circumstances, in agreement with the top command of the IDF, it was necessary for the troops to move forward to ensure that the best possible conditions for us would be achieved."
A Promise to Rescue the Captives
Olmert also addressed the issue of bringing home the IDF soldier captured by Hamas terrorists in the south and the two IDF soldiers kidnapped by Hizbullah terrorists in the north.
He noted that Monday was the 20th birthday of Cpl. Gilad Shalit, who was kidnapped in a June 25th raid by Hamas terrorists on an army outpost at the Kerem Shalom border crossing with Gaza and Egypt.
Acknowledging the many failures in the war, Olmert said “We failed in stopping the Katyushas, we didn’t have a solution for the rocket fire…..and most important, we failed in bringing our sons back home.”
Olmert repeated that the government would do all it could to bring back the captives.
“I, Ehud Olmert, Prime Minister of Israel, promise you that they will return home,” he vowed. “Maybe not as quickly as we’d like, but they will return home.”