Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Thursday slammed former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, former Mossad head Meir Dagan, and former Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) head Yuval Diskin over their recent criticism of Barak's and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyhu's Iran policies.
In an interview with Yisrael Hayom, Barak said that the “Olmert gang,” as he termed the three, were causing great damage to Israel. “It's not difficult to see whom these comments benefit – Iran,” Barak said. “This group travels the world giving interviews, and they weaken the substantial success Israel has had in turning the Iran issue into a central topic, not just for Israel, but for the entire world.”
In recent weeks, Olmert, Diskin, and Dagan have either given interviews or made speeches criticizing Barak and Netanyahu's handling of a potentially nuclear Iran. Last week, Diskin said that the Prime Minister and Defense Minister were conducting a “messianic” policy, lying about the danger Iran poses. Dagan has several times said that attacking Iran was a “stupid” idea that would just impel Tehran to develop nuclear weapons, which it would not necessarily have done otherwise. And Olmert, in an interview with CNN on Sunday, said he did not “trust” Netanyahu and Barak's Iran stance, implying that their policy would embroil Israel in a war.
Barak said that all three had no business making these criticisms. “There are some things that cannot be discussed openly because of the damage it may cause,” Barak said. “In Britain, there's a concept called 'it's not done,' and that is what they should be following regarding criticism of Israel's policies on Iran.”
Regarding Diskin, Barak said that he, especially, had nothing to say about Iran because “it is not even within his realm of responsibility and expertise. The government is the one that has to make the decision, and unfortunately the former norm in which certain people were privy to discussions on these issues and everyone else remained quiet, has been violated.”
Barak even said there may have been a personal aspect to the criticisms -- especially regarding both Dagan's and Diskin's attempts to extend their terms. “You see situations where some people behave in one way but have different plans regarding the jobs they are seeking, and a difference in what they say and do when they serve the government and are seeking an extension of their term, and their behavior afterwards.”
Barak added that an adjustment to the law preventing former government officials from publicly commenting on political and security issues might be needed. “In the U.S., a Chief of Staff must wait 10 years before becoming Defense Secretary,” and a similar tough law might be needed in Israel, he added.