Israeli MKs call for Olmert, Peretz resignation in wake of Halutz going over Lebanon
(17 Jan 2007) 1. People walking downstairs into hallway of the Knesset 2. Knesset member Ran Cohen talking to reporter 3. SOUNDBITE (English) Ran Cohen, Knesset member, Meretz-Yahad Party: "Yeah, I think that the resign (resignation) of the chief of staff is on time. I'm very sorry that he has not take this action four months ago, immediately after the end of the war. That was the perfect time for him to resign. I think that this resign of the chief of staff will lead, by sure, for the resign of the Prime Minister (Ehud) Olmert and Defence Minister Amir Peretz." 4. Knesset member Yossi Beilin Knesset Member, and leader of Meretz-Yahad Party, talking to reporter 5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Yossi Beilin, Knesset member, Meretz-Yahad Party: "The chief of staff took the right decision after the inquiries in the army. I think that now the question is about his superiors, the Defence Minister and the Prime Minister. It will be very, very difficult for both of them to stay in power after his resignation, and in my view his resignation is conducive to theirs." 6. Knesset member Youval Steinitz of the Likud party talking to reporter 7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Youval Steinitz, Knesset member, Likud party: "We should bear in mind that the responsibility for Israel's national security is not in the IDF (Israeli Defence Force), it's in the government and the civilian leadership, civilian political leadership and if the IDF fail to understand the difference between fire exchanges on the border and rockets on Kiryat Shemona, which are still under the frame of border incidents, and Katyusha barrages on Haifa, and several million Israelis, which mean total assault, major assault on the country of Israel on the state of Israel, the Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defence Minister Peretz should understand it and the political leadership of this country. And since they failed to understand it they had to resign before (Israeli army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Dan) Halutz, not after." 8. People walking downstairs into hallway of the Knesset STORYLINE: Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and Defence Minister Amir Peretz came under renewed pressure to resign on Wednesday after the army's chief of staff stepped down in the wake of criticism that the military was not prepared for last summer's war with Hezbollah. The embattled chief of staff, Lieutenant General Dan Halutz, stepped down down after dozens of internal inquiries into the Lebanon war found widespread problems in the military command's performance. Members of the Israeli parliament the Knesset who spoke to AP Television News on Wednesday joined calls for Olmert and Peretz to go. Knesset member, Ran Cohen, of the left -wing Meretz-Yahad party said Halutz should have resigned long before he actually did. "I'm very sorry that he has not take this action four months ago, immediately after the end of the war. That was the perfect time for him to resign," he said. Yossi Beilin, leader of the Meretz-Yahad party, said the chief of staff's resignation put pressure on Olmert and Peretz. "The chief of staff took the right decision after the inquiries in the army. I think that now the question is about his superiors, the Defence Minister and the Prime Minister. It will be very, very difficult for both of them to stay in power after his resignation, and in my view his resignation is conducive to theirs," said Meretzof. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
