Barak to bereaved families: Olmert should have resigned
Defense minister says PM should have stepped down following publication of Winograd Commission's findings on Lebanon war. Bereaved parents urge Barak to keep his own promise and resign
"I agree with you that (Prime Minister Ehud) Olmert should have taken responsibility and resigned shortly after the publication of the Winograd Commission's findings regarding the government's conduct during the Second Lebanon War," Defense Minister Ehud Barak told a group of bereaved families on Sunday.
According to bereaved father David Einhoren, Barak refused to specify when he planned to resign from the government, as he had promised prior to the publication of the Winograd report.
"We asked if it will be in a year or two, and he answered 'sooner than you think'," Einhoren told Ynet, adding that the atmosphere during the meeting was tense.
"If values are important to him, the defense minister should step down," the bereaved parent said, "if the country is important to him, he should do so as quickly as possible – even tomorrow morning."
Associates of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert responded to the statements made by Defense Minister Ehud Barak in a meeting with bereaved parents on Sunday in which he said Olmert should have resigned after the Second Lebanon War, saying they were confused by the defense minister.
"It's impossible to understand what Barak wants, his behavior is perplexing. If he wants to resign – he should do just that. Why is he sending messaging via bereaved parents?" they asked.
Officials in Barak's office said that the minister had already publicly expressed his opinions regarding the findings of the Winograd Commission into the wartime government's conduct in the past.
