The war of words between former prime ministers Ehud Olmert and Ehud Barak is heating up. Barak, who served as Defense Minister under Olmert, is seeking to prevent the publication of Olmert’s book.
Staffers in Defense Minister Barak’s office have turned to a special ministerial committee, asking that the book be banned for publication until it is made clear that it does not reveal state secrets.
Excerpts of the book published recently in the daily newspaper Yediot Acharonot, as well as recent speeches by Olmert, have given reason to believe that Olmert is revealing state secrets. Olmert has been mentioning secret security missions to which Barak objected, attempting to show that Barak took a timid stance.
Olmert also wrote in his book that Barak, the long-time leader of the Labor Party, sought to join Ariel Sharon’s newly-formed Kadima party, but was unable to receive sufficiently favorable terms.
The Hebrew language News-1 website, which has been in the forefront of breaking stories that present Olmert in a negative light, reported today that Olmert has been feuding with Barak ever since the latter tried to have Olmert resign when the corruption charges against him were revealed.
State security secrets are generally forbidden for publication for between 30 and 50 years, unless a sitting prime minister expressly permits them. Binyamin Netanyahu has apparently not given Olmert his permission to do so.
Intriguingly, the ministerial committee in charge of state secrets is staffed by three: Chairman Yaakov Ne’eman, the Justice Minister; Avigdor Lieberman, the Foreign Minister - and the Defense Minister, Ehud Barak.