Mofaz expresses faith in Peretz
Defense minister distances himself from reports claiming his associates slammed inexperienced Labor leader as unfit for Defense Ministry
Report denied: Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz distanced himself Wednesday morning from reports that his associates slammed the intention to hand over the Defense Ministry to inexperienced Labor Chairman Amir Peretz.
In a talk with Peretz, Mofaz said the headlines did not reflect his views, expressed his appreciation to the Labor leader, and said he was confident Peretz would perform well in any post assigned to him.
Handing over the Defense Ministry to Peretz would be an "irresponsible" move, sources close to Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz warned according to a report in Israel's leading newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
Mofaz views himself as a natural candidate to stay at the Defense Ministry even after the next government is formed, but the coalition deal between Kadima and Labor may strip him off the prestigious post.
The defense minister has refrained from addressing the subject himself in recent days, and said he would accept any portfolio given to him by Acting PM Ehud Olmert. However, Mofaz associates are making starkly different comments.
"The feeling is not a good one," one source was reported as sayingTuesday night. "How can the State of Israel have a prime minister without security and military credentials and also have a defense minister without any credentials for the post? This is irresponsible. This matter should very much disturb the public."
The associate said that the right thing to do is appoint a minister with proven experience at a difficult period on the security and diplomatic fronts.
"We're facing several serious threats, such as the Iranian threat and the Hamas regime, and are also facing the convergence plan in Judea and Samaria," the source said. "I have a feeling not enough thought is given to this move. It's a complex system. Amir Peretz will assume the post and they'll ask him to cut (the defense budget.) Does he know what to cut?
However, another close associate said the matter was not finalized yet.
"The feeling is that everything is open. Peretz may still surprise and insist on the Treasury. We're also aware Mofaz didn't receive a promise for the post of defense minister, and therefore he'll agree to assume any other post he's given," the source said.
Yuval Karni contributed to the report
