The Knesset State Control Committee held a tense and dramatic session today on the State Comptroller's findings regarding the lack of Home Front readiness before last summer's war.
State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss explained to the Committee members - and to the viewers of the nationally-broadcast session - that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert took some ten weeks to begin responding to the Comptroller's questions on the matter. In addition, Olmert refused to meet personally with the Comptroller to present his testimony. Lindenstrauss explained that it is for this reason that the full report will be published only four months from now.
Lindenstrauss did not explain why it would take four full months, though he said that the amount of material that has been received is tremendous - several volumes' worth.
MK Yaakov Cohen (United Torah Judaism) asked sarcastically if the four-month period "was coordinated in advance with Hizbullah and Hamas."
Lindenstrauss said that the full report would be submitted after all the responses of those under review had been received. He warned that the criticism would be sharp "and could anger many people."
MK Avishai Braverman (Labor), who served as Rector of Ben Gurion University in Be'er Sheva before he was elected to the Knesset last year, said, "What we are seeing is yet another step along the way towards the collapse of the regime here."
Though the 62 State Comptroller employees did not meet with Olmert, they did meet with "dozens of people," Lindenstrauss said, "including Cabinet ministers, the former Chief of Staff, army generals, the Police Commissioner, top police officers, and more. The meetings were taped and written down on thousands of pages."
"We first turned to the Prime Minister's Office on Aug. 22, 2006," Lindenstrauss said. "A full two months later, on Oct. 25, did we receive some material from the PM's office. We asked again, and we received the rest only on Nov. 6 and on Dec. 4" - more than three months late. "This, despite the law that states that such material must be given over 'immediately,'" Lindenstrauss clarified. "As a result, our work was delayed."
"Afterwards, on Dec. 25, I asked the Prime Minister for a meeting, as we had with other ministers. However, he asked, on Jan. 7, that we send him written questions instead. On Jan. 31, we sent him a questionnaire of 12 questions, including 7 having to do with the Home Front. We have still not yet received a response."
Olmert's aides reported to the press that the response was submitted yesterday - but Chairman Orlev announced at the end of the session that in fact, the response was submitted only today, after the session had begun.
Knesset Members were permitted to ask questions, though not relating to the specific findings of the Comptroller. Chairman Orlev asked what precisely was investigated. The Comptroller said, "The issues were: the war in the north, the [government's] decision-making processes, the Prime Minister's Bureau's treatment of the Home Front, emergency readiness of the police, Magen David Adom, the Welfare Ministry [and other bodies], shelters, population evacuation" and the like.
Some MKs related to the fact that more important than discussing how the Comptroller worked and how long it took Olmert to respond, was to repair the mistakes and deficiencies that endangered the residents of the north during last year's war and ensure that they do not repeat themselves.
MK Cohen continued his sarcastic tone and said, "The Defense Minister, who is a great expert, said there will not be another war this year, and the Prime Minister says the same - but there are others who do not agree. There are still hospitals that are not protected against Katyusha rockets, proper procedures for evacuating citizens are still not in place, etc."
Chairman Orlev, who was basically allied with the Comptroller throughout the session, concluded by reminding him that the Committee is still awaiting an interim report on its findings in the near future.
The session was held in the shadow of an appeal to the Supreme Court against it being held at all. IDF Home Front Commander Gen. Yitzchak Gershon appealed to the Court against the session until those who were investigated would be able to read the report and the findings against them. The Court ruled this morning that the session could be held, but that specific findings and personal recommendations should not be discussed.
The court petition created strange bedfellows and enmities: Neither the Knesset Legal Counsel nor the Attorney General Menachem Mazuz defended the Comptroller and the State Control Committee Chairman in their desire to hold the session, and Chairman Orlev was defended in court by a private lawyer.
Comptroller Lindenstrauss was criticized for leaks to the press on the matter, but he fended off these claims: "By law, I am the only one who decides when to publicize a report - so why would I leak it? If I can publicize it, why should I leak it?"
The atmosphere at the meeting was politically-charged, with members of the opposition - including Orlev - generally attacking the Prime Minister, and coalition members sending jibes towards the Comptroller. Every once in a while, Orlev or others would remind their colleagues that at issue was the safety of a million citizens of Israel.
In other political news, a series of no-confidence motions against the government were filed in the Knesset this afternoon (Tuesday). The Knesset was on the verge of voting against them as this story was filed... Earlier today, the weekly Cabinet meeting - postponed to today because of Purim - was forced to take a five-minute recess when Prime Minister Olmert and Defense Minister Peretz exchanged loud barbs.