Budget approved, tensions remain
Olmert, Peretz meet privately after Cabinet meeting to settle tensions; Halutz calls cuts 'insulting'. Labor ministers abstain in protest of defense budget cuts
Before convening with Peretz, the prime minister made the stinging comment that it was Peretz himself who insisted during election campaigning that social issues should be a top priority, ahead of security and political matters. “I wasn’t among those who waved around defense ministry budget cuts during elections,” Olmert said.
Power struggles between Olmert and Peretz seeped into the Cabinet meeting itself, when ahead of the vote Olmert reminded Peretz of his slogan from election time regarding the need to cut the defense budget for the benefit of social budgets. Ministers leaving the meeting said the show was embarrassing and that Peretz had no response to Olmert’s jabs. With that, the ministers expressed faith that relations between the two leaders would improve along the way.
Ministers taking part in the meeting said the two leaders almost did not speak to each other. “You could feel the tension in their body language. They didn’t speak to each other, but only to the other ministers around them,” one minister said. Another compared the tensions to those between a fighting couple, but added that “they don’t have a choice” but to get along.
Halutz: Budget cuts insulting
After the amended 2006 budget was passed Tuesday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz said the move was even more “insulting” even more than it was damaging.
“We consider ourselves fair and professional people,” Halutz said, “and when you look at the number before understanding its significance – it seems a bit insulting for the people behind the security achievements.”
Halutz spoke to reporters during a tour in the Northern Command Tuesday evening, on which he was accompanied by the defense minister.
Attila Somfalvi and Hanan Greenberg contribute to the report
