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MKs: Commission of foot-dragging

PM’s announcement to appoint two commissions of inquiry, neither one a state committee, meets censure from all sides of political spectrum. Movement for Quality Government calls committees 'a joke'

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced Monday night that he would appoint two inquiry committees to investigate the second Lebanon war, one to focus on the military and one to focus on the political echelon. His announcement was met with significant criticism – both from right-wing and left-wing parties.

 

The Movement for Quality Government in Israel (MQG), whose members began a hunger strike to demand a state commission of inquiry, called Olmert’s suggested committees “a joke” and announced that their protests would continue until a state commission is established.

 

Meretz party chairman Yossi Beilin censured Olmert’s decision saying that it was handled “in the same stammering manner in which he handled the war.” Beilin called on the heads of the two committees to refuse to accept the position they were given because they wouldn’t be able to do their job.

 

“Anyone called to testify before the committee should not do so because he risks being framed. In a state commission of inquiry, such a scenario does not exist,” he added.

 

MK Ami Ayalon (Labor) declared similar opinions and called on government ministers to reject Olmert’s proposed investigative committees. “The Israeli public is developing a feeling of alienation and losing faith in the system. Restoring the public’s faith is no less important than examining failures – and anything less than a state commission of inquiry will not achieve this,” he stated.

 

Fellow Labor member Dani Yatom explained the importance of a state commission: “The only obligatory committee is a state commission of inquiry, which is the only one that can see the big picture, examine the reciprocal relationship between the political and military echelons and evaluate this important aspect,” he said.

 

Agreement from the right 

Voices on the right side of the political spectrum expressed similar disapprobation for Olmert’s choice of investigative committee. MK Effie Eitam (National Union-NRP), like Yatom, censured the commissions’ separation of the military and political echelons.

 

“Tonight the government created one commission to allow foot-dragging and escaping of responsibility for the politicians and a second committee to lay all of the blame on the military. The purpose of having two separate commissions is to stab the IDF in the back, an ugly attempt by the government to escape its responsibility for the failures of this war, which manifests itself by its self-righteousness and hypocrisy towards the military,” he elaborated.

 

Fellow party member Zevulun Orlev echoed these sentiments, saying “the government did not allow the military to win and now they are covering their asses. The government abandoned the home front as well as its obligations to fulfill the war’s objectives, foremost among them the return of the kidnapped soldiers and the disarmament of Hizbullah.”

 

“The government’s attempts to plaster over its enormous failures by avoiding a state commission of inquiry hurts the already unstable faith of the Israeli civilians and reservists in the nation’s leadership,” he added.

 

Among the waves of criticism, one voice of support for Olmert was heard. MK Ruhama Avraham (Kadima) said that “the prime minister made a brave and correct decision. Such an investigation will spare Israel a process at the expense of state security…The decision allows Israel to prepare for confrontations in the future.”

 

'Commission has no teeth' 

Officials in the judiciary system criticized the makeup of the commissions, noting that while according to law, a state commission enjoys the status of an independent court and is allowed to summon witnesses to appear before it, the committees established by Olmert "have no teeth or authority."

 

"This commission will not be allowed to subpoena witnesses, the people interrogated by it will not be able to enjoy immunity… a proper inquiry cannot be conducted this way," senior jurists said.

 

Additionally, they noted that parts of the commission's reports will be allowed to stay privileged, in accordance with the PM's discretion.

 

As to the commission's composition, senior jurists told Ynet: "It is unclear what so many worthy people are doing in such an unworthy committee, which looks like an attempt on Olmert's part to rescue himself from the public protest by taking advantage of their prestige."

 

Minister of Science, Technology, Culture and Sport Ophir Pines-Paz s daid he intends to vote in Wednesday’s cabinet meeting against the dual commissions of inquiry proposed by Olmert. He stated that only a commission of inquiry led by a qualified judge would “have the teeth” necessary to truly investigate the issue.

 

Minister without portfolio Eitan Cabel echoed these sentiments, saying “I strenuously object to such a commission and will convince my colleagues to oppose it as well."

 

Ahiya Raved, Dorit Siton and Aviram Zino contributed to the report

 


פרסום ראשון: 08.28.06, 22:45
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