August 19, 2006 at 13:02:15

Firing Squad: Time for Accountability in Israel

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By John E. Carey (about the author) Page 1 of 3 page(s)

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My friend Amir Taheri asked, "Was it Tacitus who said, 'Defeat is an orphan while victory has a thousand fathers'?"

In fact, that Roman historian had it just about right.

Argue, if you will, that Israel is the victor in all of this. Meanwhile, we'll assemble the firing squad.

Accountability is tough. Post war accountability is brutal beyond belief. Especially if you lose.

Even Saddam Hussein has said he prefers the honor of the firing squad to the other more ignominious forms of death meted out as judgment for conduct unbecoming.

There are some simple rules of accountability in the U.S. military and in other places in the world. These can be rather ruthless as they enforce strict guidelines of ethics, personal performance and professional achievement.

The people of Israel must make their own assessment of their leaders in this war. But if the tenets of personal accountability followed by the U.S. military are enforced, there will be some changes at the top of Israel's leadership team in the weeks ahead.We therefore briefly review some of the players during the last two months or so in Israel.

Foreign Minister

"There can no longer be militias and terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah."These words were spoken by Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni to der SPIEGEL on July 25, 2006.

This promise (or assertion?) was not fulfilled.

Moreover, Ms. Livni was absent from the United Nations in New York while that august body crafted the terms of the cease fire agreement. When she prepared to leave Israel, less than 24 hours before the cease fire was finalized in New York, the Prime Minister sent Mr. Shimon Peres instead of his Foreign Minister.

Since the war ended, she has been diligently though ineffectively lobbying United Nations diplomats in efforts to get Hezbollah disarmed. That hasn't happened.

She has also worked hard to get a real peacekeeping force into the area between Hezbollah and Israel. That hasn't happened.
Ms. Livni should most probably be asked to leave the government.

Defense Minister

Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz should retire.

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