Olmert scared to act in Gaza, says Islamic Jihad
Palestinian factions say Winograd report is proof of 'Zionist defeat', adding Olmert now too intimidated to act in Gaza. Hizbullah launches fresh campaign mocking wartime leadership with photo-manipulated images and slogans on massive placards
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad announced in a statement Tuesday that the Winograd report showed Israel was "frightened" of the repercussions of a military operation in Gaza.
The claim came a day after Hizbullah said the Winograd report into the failings of the Second Lebanon War proved "Israel was defeated" during hostilities last summer.
"There is no doubt that the size of the defeat of Zionism in Lebanon is reflected in the continuing preoccupation with it," Islamic Jihad said in its statement, published on its website.
"One (of the impacts) is a reluctance by Olmert to ratify the invasion of the Gaza Strip due to fears of possible repercussions, in the light of the results of the Lebanon war, and (fears) that an invasion will not produce any results," the statement added.
Islamic Jihad has distanced itself from any talk of a ceasefire, and has vowed to continue to fire rockets into southern Israel from Gaza.
The organization closely monitored the publication of the Winograd Commission's partial report, translating them into Arabic and posting the conclusions on its website.
Similarly, the website of the Palestinian Resistance Committees (PRC) - one of the organizaitons which took part in the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit - provided its readers up-to-the-minute coverage on the Winograd Commission and its political repercussions in Israel, noting Tuesday's resignation of Labor Minister Eitan Cabel.
"The Zionist Winograd Comission reported on the massive failure of the Zionist army to achieve the stated objectives of the war in Lebanon, in the face the Lebanese resistance," the PRC said. "This is further proof of the victory of the Lebanese people and resistance in the face of the Zionist war," the website added.
For its part, Hamas has refrained from responding directly to the report on its array of websites, choosing instead to reiterate threats to kidnap more Israeli soldiers.
Hizbullah regurgitates Israeli ridicule of Peretz
Hizbullah officials also wasted no time in celebrating the Winograd Committee report and put up giant posters taunting Israel's embattled leadership along the Lebanese border on Tuesday.
The images of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz were erected on a large hoarding barely half a mile from the Israeli border town of Metula.
Olmert's placard along Lebanese border (Photo: AFP)
The picture of Peretz was an Israeli press photograph from February that showed him watching war games at the Lebanese border through binoculars that still had their black lens caps on.
"Is Peretz blind or using inadequate equipment?" said the legend.
Israeli newspapers carried similarly mocking captions when they ran the photograph on February 22, ridiculing the defense minister, a former trade union boss, for his lack of military experience.
"The outlook is dark for Peretz," joked top-selling daily Yedioth Aharonoth.
The poster of Olmert showed him alongside pictures of images supposedly showing an Israeli helicopter and naval vessel being hit by Hizbullah rockets.
Peretz's infamous gaffe (Photo: AFP)
Just last week Hizbullah set up similar placards showing pictures of kidnapped Israeli soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev.
AFP contributed to this report
