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Pressure mounts on Olmert
17/01/2007 22:34 - (SA)
>Jerusalem - The resignation of Israel's
armed forces chief over failure to win last summer's Lebanon war
dealt a fresh blow on Wednesday to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert,
already weakened by political scandal.
Israeli media described Lieutenant-General Dan Halutz's
decision to quit as an "earthquake" and speculated whether it
might ultimately trigger a domino effect toppling Olmert and
defence minister Amir Peretz.
"He did not agree to my request that he reconsider. I very
much regret the chief of staff's resignation," Olmert said.
He called Halutz one of Israel's "greatest
warriors", but made no comment on his conduct of the Lebanon war. Criminal probe
The former fighter pilot's move was announced hours after
Israel's state prosecutor ordered a criminal probe into Olmert's
role in the privatisation of Israel's second biggest bank in
2005, when he was finance minister.
"The investigation of Olmert and Halutz's resignation in the
wake of the Lebanon war could rock the foundations of the
government," political analyst Hanan Crystal told Israel Radio.
A poll commissioned by Israel's Channel 10 television found
that 69% of Israelis want Olmert to follow Halutz's lead
and resign. Eighty-five percent called for Peretz to step down.
Olmert has denied any wrongdoing in the sale of Bank Leumi
or in another case, now being considered by Israel's
attorney-general, into the alleged appointment of cronies to a
government-funded business authority. US peace-push
His troubles could weigh heavily on Washington's new push to
revive Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking, efforts that it hopes
can bolster Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in his power
struggle with the governing Islamist group Hamas.
Mushir al-Masri, a senior Hamas legislator said in Gaza that
investigations against Olmert and Halutz's resignation "prove
the Zionist government is weak" and should spur Palestinians "to
continue resistance and jihad".
- Reuters
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