While country in uproar, Knesset remains mute

VIDEO - Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik rejected on Tuesday a petition to hold a special Knesset plenum regarding the Winograd Commission’s report into the mishandling of the Second Lebanon War this coming Thursday. The Knesset members who had drafted this petition, MK Gideon Sa'ar, chairman of the Likud faction, and MK Zevulun Orlev of the National Religious Party, both expressed regret at the speaker’s decision. Video courtesy of Infolive.tv Sa’ar and Orlev—who serves as chairman of the parliamentary lobby for the implementation of the Winograd Commission’s findings—had previously asked the Winograd Commission to move up the publication of its findings from Wednesday to Tuesday, so that the Knesset could hold a special session regarding the commission’s report, but their request was denied by the committee's chairman, Judge Eliyahu Winograd. The judge indicated that “at this juncture, just a few days before publication, we cannot change the date at which we issue our report.” The two MKs then petitioned Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik to hold a special Knesset session one day after the publication of the Winograd report. In a letter to the speaker, MK Orlev indicated, “There is no doubt that debates essential to the national agenda must be held with the Knesset arena. "It is therefore essential that we do not postpone parliamentary debate on the Winograd Commission report until next week, and we sincerely hope that we can have your cooperation on this matter.” No indication when session will be held Roughly a month ago, MK Sa'ar, along with MK Zahava Gal-On, chairwoman of the Meretz faction, spearheaded a similar petition to hold a special Knesset plenum following the Winograd report which would include Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Both petitions, however, ultimately failed, and the Knesset speaker decided not to hold a special plenum on Winograd this coming Thursday. There is no indication when—if ever—such a plenum will be held. MK Orlev and MK Sa’ar both expressed their regret at Speaker Itzik’s decision, stating that they “believe that this is an erroneous decision. The report’s value far outweighs the prime minister’s attempts to bide a few extra moments of political time." Orlev further noted that “Olmert is buying extra time in power at the expense of the Israeli democratic system.” Ilan Ostfeld, communications adviser for Itzik, noted that “the Knesset will hold a special session on the Winograd Commission’s findings next week, but an exact date has not been set as of yet.”

While country in uproar, Knesset remains mute

(Video) Opposition enraged: Prime Minister Olmert gets few additional days of grace, as Knesset Speaker Itzik rejects petition to hold special Knesset session on Winograd findings this Thursday