The High Court of Justice ordered the Winograd Commission Monday to publish the testimonies of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert,
Defense Minister Amir Peretz,
and former IDF Chief Dan Halutz, before the publication of the interim report in the second half of April.
The High Court’s decision contradicts Sunday’s announcement to the court by Winograd Commission members, according to which they did not intend on honoring the schedule set for them, due to technical difficulties.
The court ruled that the testimonies must be published, but that they would not include details that had “the potential to severely harm the security of the state”.
The court originally ordered the commission to publish Olmert, Peretz, and Halutz’s testimonies before Passover Eve - which is tonight - but the commission did not honor the deadline.
The commission filed an official request to postpone the publication of the testimonies, which said it “has reached the conclusion that it has to thoroughly review its approach to and preparation for the release of its transcripts”.
The request added that legal, judicial and practical problems could arise from the publication of the transcripts. "The commission can not make itself free to deal with these problems because it wants to complete the drafting of the interim report in time," the commission said in a letter.
“Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and the Winograd Commission’s false claims have been rejected,” Knesset Member Zahava Gal-On (Meretz) said regarding the ruling.
“I hope the commission will not humiliate itself any further and publish the testimonies,” she said. “The prime minister’s office must understand that you can’t fool everyone all the time.”
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