Peretz: I’m better than my predecessors
Peretz rejects Olmert’s comments that he insisted on defense portfolio. ‘There were coalition negotiations. I wanted the finance portfolio, but Olmert said under absolutely no circumstances,' defense minister says
News of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s comments that Amir Peretz was appointed defense minister because Labor insisted on the portfolio outraged Peretz, who got wind of the comments while in the United States for diplomatic meetings.
In closed talks with his aides, Peretz rejected Olmert’s comments outright. “There were coalition negotiations. I wanted the finance portfolio, but Olmert said under absolutely no circumstances,” Peretz said.
Peretz with US Senator Joseph Lieberman in US (Photo: Defense Ministry)
Even though his political standing has suffered from his service as defense minister, Peretz said: “I should get very good grades for my performance as defense minister.”
In recent conversations, Peretz has said he was forced to choose between being in the opposition and governmental instability, and establishing a stable government. He chose the latter.
“Should coalition negotiations have been allowed to explode over the finance portfolio?” the minister questioned. “I came to the conclusion that the defense portfolio was strong enough to create ties with the public and improve social issues.”
Peretz responded to his associates’ claims that he recently expressed regret over accepting the defense portfolio due to the damage it did to his public standing.
“Retrospective analysis is undesirable for leaders. I weighed certain factors, and it doesn’t matter that I was politically damaged in the process. Retrospective judgment is for historians,” Peretz said.
“I do my job loyally, and whoever judges objectively will see that I am doing a much better job than many of my predecessors,” he added.
