'Not all are wise.' Dan Meridor
Photo: Niv Calderon
Israel reached its lowest point, former minister says
Not one cabinet member acted responsibly during Lebanon war, Dan Meridor says
“According to the Winograd Commission’s interim report, not one of the cabinet members acted responsibly during the Second Lebanon War,” Former Minister Dan Meridor said Friday.
Meridor, who headed a team of experts in solidifying Israel's defense doctrine, was recently asked by Defense Minister Amir Peretz to update the doctrine following last summer’s war.
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Speaking at a convention of the Commercial and Industrial Association in Tel Aviv, Meridor said Israel had “reached its lowest point”, but added that the Winograd report may help the government regain its “balance and judgment.”
“Plato proposed that the ruler be a philosopher-king,” Meridor said. “There are wise people in Israel’s governments - but not all of them. Many of them are good politicians who are eloquent and reached their positions through good connections, but ultimately when making decisions responsibility is not always a top priority for them.
Alluding to Peretz, Meridor said, “We must demand that an appointed minister take the time to study his field and other general issues that the government has to deal with and that he may have to vote on from time to time.”
