PM assesses damage to Kiryat Shmona home
Photo: AFP
Olmert: We'll draw war lessons
PM tours northern town, says he will not be joining 'game of self-flagellation' in wake of war; ‘I have decided that we concentrate all our energies and resources on how to prepare for what's to come
A commission of inquiry will be set up so that Israel can draw lessons from the Lebanon war, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said
Monday as he faced furious residents and municipal politicians at the northern town of Kiryat Shmona.
"We'll draw lessons in order to strengthen Israel and move it forward," the PM said as he toured the still-recovering border town, which has sustained more than 1,000 rocket hits during the war.
Tour of North
Olmert tours rocket-stricken city of Kiryat Shmona, finds apathetic, furious residents. Local: I heard the prime minister is here on a visit; if I had two minutes to meet him face to face, I would tell him, 'Olmert, I voted for you and I'm sorry I did so’
In his meeting with local authority heads, Olmert said: "I have decided that we concentrate all our energies and resources on one thing: Not on mutual blows, not on arguing over what happened, but rather, on how to prepare for what's to come."
Turning his attention to the commission of inquiry issue, the prime minister said: "Today or tomorrow the attorney general will submit recommendations to the government and we'll see what format is needed in order to examine the shadows, but also present the rays of light."
With his own political future hanging in the balance, Olmert added a personal comment: "I've handled a reality similar to the Katyusha rockets while I was the Jerusalem mayor. We picked up body parts in the streets, and I understand and feel this pain. We've been living with it for many years now."
"I won't join this game of self-flagellation or punching the IDF," he said. "What is the IDF? It's our children and the children of our nation. Who are the commanders? Those are our best sons, headed by the chief of staff. What will we do with them? Line them up and slap them, so that they cannot prepare for the future, and then complain again later?"
Turning his attention to claims that the war failed to achieve enough objectives, Olmert said: "The Lebanese defense minister threatened to take steps against anyone who fires at Israel – that’s unusual. If (Lebanese PM) Siniora continues with this activity, I have no doubt that within a period of time that is not long we can reach direct dialogue that could produce comfortable terms for negotiations."
"Such negotiations could lead to normalization of ties between Israel and Lebanon," the PM said. "We have no interest in a clash with Lebanon, as long as it spews out the terrorist and radical elements that have taken it over."
