Olmert's exercise in leadership: The government deliberately refrained from discussing Sunday Defense Minister Amir Peretz's initiative to transfer NIS 50 million (USD 11 million) in humanitarian aid to the Palestinian Authority.
The decision to remove the issue from the government meeting agenda follows a meeting between Olmert and Peretz last Thursday scheduled after Peretz said Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert should meet after Olmert returns from his expected visit to Washington.
Sunday's cabinet meeting (Photo: AP)
Olmert, on his part, continues to educate his ministers, instructing: "Every minister who travels abroad should represent the entire Israeli government, and should consult with the foreign ministry prior to the trip."
'Defense minister is assessing his authority'
Olmert also berated the ministers in the government's weekly meeting about the controversial subject of appointing members to the political-security cabinet.
"I don't like hearing from the media about your reservations on future issues that the government is scheduled to discuss. Disagreements should be discussed here, not in the media," he told his ministers.
Peretz's plan for transferring to the Palestinian Authority NIS 50 million of the PA's frozen tax income as humanitarian aid was delivered to the government secretariat office as a tender.
Government Secretary Israel Maimon said today that "since the proposal was not finalized and was handed out as a tender that needs more work, the issue was not added to the agenda of the government meeting."
However, in between the lines, some top government officials believe that Olmert wants to assert to Peretz "who is the boss here."
An official at the PM's office said, "It's a natural process; the defense minister is assessing his authority and his abilities to work within a government coalition comprised of several parties."
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