Retired Judge Winograd will lead commission of inquiry
Public pressure does its trick – Prime minister decides to place retired Judge Winograd at head of commission of inquiry into second war in Lebanon. Instead of former Mossad chief, Nahum Admoni, who will remain member of commission, Judge Eliyahu Winograd will be appointed. Sunday, his candidacy will be presented to cabinet
The commission's mandate will be broadened as it is expected to examine the management of the political echelons and the defense establishment during the war, unlike the commission that was to be headed by Admoni.
The commission will actually remain with the title "governmental examination," and not "state inquiry," as a number of reservist organizations and the Movement for Quality Government have demanded, but the retired judge will be at the helm and he will be authorized to invite witnesses and to grant them immunity.
Dr. Eliyahu Winograd, former president of Tel Aviv Magistrate Court, has already headed a number of public commissions. He investigated university tuition, and recommended to lower it. As well, he examined the information in the hands of the IDF regarding the captured navigator, Ron Arad. Alongside Winograd will serve the remaining members of the Admoni Commission who received the go ahead from Attorney General Menachem Mazuz – former Mossad chief Nahum Admoni, Prof. Yehezkel Dror, and Ruth Gabizon.
The commission that wasn't
With the judge's appointment, the prime minister is looking to minimize public and political criticism waged against him regarding government investigation of the war in Lebanon.
At first, Olmert seemed determined not to appoint a commission, then he asked to split the commission into three – two state commissions of inquiry, one to examine the political echelons and another for the military, and a third commission of the state comptroller to investigate the management of government offices and home front functioning. Since this declaration, his expectations have collapsed one after the other.
Already the day after his declaration on the three commissions, a public debate arose between the prime minister and State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss, the latter emphasizing in the media that he is not a subordinate of the government and isn't obligated to act according to its wishes. In the State Control Committee, he detailed the steps of his investigation following the war in Lebanon, and that it turns out that both the political and the military echelons were in the crosshairs.
Even before the conflict with the state comptroller, Olmert took another hit. The attorney general disqualified two members of the Admoni Commission – Major General (Res.) Yedidya Yaari and David Ivri – citing conflict of interests.
Even the political blows did not tarry. Defense Minister Amir Peretz along with many others from his party crossed over to join the supporters of a state commission of inquiry. Recently, Shaul Mofaz has also joined this camp. Even Shas ministers are tending, contrary to their initial stance, to support a state commission of inquiry whose members are appointed by the president of the High Court, and not by the government.
