Today's Situation

WATCHDOG BARKS AT IDF, December 05, 2006

The latest report by State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss, in which the national watchdog casts a highly critical eye over the state of the defense establishment, features prominently on the front pages of all of Tuesday's newspapers.

The report, which was presented on Monday to Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik, paints a bleak picture of the defense establishment. Although the report relates to the period before the conflict in Lebanon in July and August, the points it echoes criticism of the military's mishandling of the war.

The main criticism contained in the report regards the level of training for senior IDF officers.

The comptroller revealed a detailed list of flaws in the study program at the National Defense College (NDC) including the fact that most of the instructors at the college lacked the necessary training and education to teach national defense on an academic level.

In addition, the report claims that the IDF's Operational Theory Research Institute (OTRI), located at the NDC and established to develop and write operational commands and methods, had not published a single report on large-scale military tactics in the 12 years prior to the inspection.

While the comprehensive report will find a prominent place in the media spotlight in the coming days, it lacks the legal authority to compel change.

Responding to the report, opposition leader and former PM Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday in an interview with Israel Radio that he doubted whether the current political and military leadership were capable of defeating an enemy during war. Netanyahu said that he based his assessment on the mismanagement of the war in Lebanon and on the content of State Comptroller's Report. Netanyahu also called for an end to the Hamas government's reign.

On a related matter, retired Supreme Court justice and former state comptroller

Eliezer Goldberg told Israel Radio that the government-appointed Winograd Commission should be disbanded and an independent state inquiry set up to replace it. He said this remains his position even after reviewing the High Court ruling on the appeal to set up a state inquiry commission.

Also, the Movement for Quality Government in Israel, which has opposed the current government investigation of the Lebanon war as insufficient, petitioned the High Court Tuesday morning to reopen hearings on a State Commission of Inquiry.

Elsewhere, there was optimism that talks between Hamas' exiled politburo chief Khaled Meshal and the head of the Hamas-led government, Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, could lead to a breakthrough in talks for the release of captive IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.

On Monday, Haniyeh and Meshal met in Damascus, where, according to Haaretz, they were close to agreeing a formula that would see the Israeli captive go free in exchange for up to 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. Haaretz quoted a senior official in Jerusalem as saying that 'We agreed to release several hundred women and children, mostly the young among them. We have also agreed to release several hundred [adult male] Palestinian prisoners, among them prisoners sentenced to many years in prison.'

But The Jerusalem Post reports that Meshal told the Lebanese newspaper Al Safir that Hamas can direct an intifada even if it sits in power.

According to Israel Radio, Meshal reiterated his threat that if the international community failed to set up a framework for a Palestinian state defined by the 1967 borders within six months and assure refugees' right of return, the Palestinians would resume their course of "resistance" against Israel.

Meanwhile, nrg. co.il, the website of Maariv, reports that Meshal told the Al Jazeera website that Shalit is in good condition and is being held in accordance with the principles of Islam. According to Maariv, Meshal said that 'Hamas is interesting in freeing Shalit, but only as part of a deal that would be Palestinian prisoners going free.'

In an interview with Army Radio, Netanyahu warned that Hamas was busy planning the next major rocket attack -and not just on Sderot.

Netanyahu also said that 'Gaza won't necessarily continue turning into a second Lebanon, but that is what's happening. The time has come for us to draw conclusions,' he said. 'We can't close our eyes and say, 'I'm showing restraint, everything's okay." Everything is not okay.' The Likud leader called for Israel to stop showing restraint and to take an offensive stance toward Hamas.

Elsewhere on Tuesday, Meshal's words were backed up by Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, who asserted that in all the time he had served as prime minister, he had never taken steps against Palestinian armed groups or prevented them from carrying out operations.

Speaking at a rally the al-Yarmouk refugee camp in Syria, Haniyeh said his government did not condemn resistance but embraced it.

In other news, The Jerusalem Post reports that Israeli officials were sadden to hear of the imminent departure of John Bolton as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

A diplomatic source in Jerusalem praised him as a "great friend of Israel," and as a "highly professional diplomat who worked diligently to promote the same ideas that Israel and the US share in common - democracy and freedom." One official said Bolton "worked diligently in a hostile environment," and was "not afraid to speak out in a loud and clear voice, never afraid to voice his opinion, even if it was not popular."

Finally, Education Minister came under fire Tuesday after Haaretz reported that she had ordered the return of the Green Line to textbooks used in Israeli schools. According to the report, students will now learn about the Green Line as part of the daily curriculum.

Speaking on Army Radio, National Religious Party-National Union Knesset member Zevulen Orlev accused Tamir of imposing a Peace Now policy in the education system.

The above text was written and compiled by Simon Spungin using newpaper, radio and wire reports, in English and Hebrew.

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