The Winograd Commission probing the function of the Israeli leadership during the Second Lebanon War will severely criticize Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister ‘Amir Peretz and former chief staff Dan Halutz, media leaks indicate.
The interim findings of the Winograd report will be made public on Monday evening but portions of the reports have been leaked to Israeli media outlets.
According to media reports of the draft, the Winograd Commission criticizes Olmert’s decision to go to war with Hizbullah last July, and concludes he exercised hasty and faulty judgment. The report says he acted as a rubber stamp for war plans submitted by the Israeli army and refrained from seeking other options.
The draft says Halutz did not take Katyusha missile attacks on Israeli communities seriously and forced the cabinet to accept his decisions. It adds he did not present alternatives and silenced senior officers who suggested different options.
Since the end of the fighting, three top officers in the Israel Defense Forces have resigned, including Halutz himself, who resigned in January.
The criticism against Peretz will focus on his acceptance of the defense portfilio despite his lack of understanding and background in security matters and his failure to overcome this lack of experience during the war.
The report could potentially force Olmert and Peretz to resign from office or precipitate early elections.
Last summer’s war was seen in Israel as a strategic disaster. The Israeli death toll included 119 soldiers and 44 civilians.