Israel Matzav

IDF intelligence chief says Hezbullah stronger than before war - then retracts on Peretz's orders

IDF intelligence chief Brig.-Gen. Yossi Beiditz told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Monday that Hezbullah is stronger than it was before last summer's war. Then he retracted the statement under pressure from his boss, 'Defense Minister' Amir Comrade Peretz:

Beiditz was asked more than once by committee members if he meant that Hizbullah was now stronger, and he responded in the affirmative - until Defense Minister Amir Peretz stepped in.

Peretz said, "Hizbullah has not increased its strength, but merely its potential." Beiditz quickly agreed with Peretz, arousing a storm of protest from opposition MKs.

MK Limor Livnat (Likud) told the Maariv newspaper, "I view this with great gravity - first to know that Hizbullah is stronger than before the war, as Gen. Beiditz described, and also to know that the head of the IDF's Intelligence Wing Research Division gets in line with comments made to him by the Defense Minister. We asked Beiditz a few times about Hizbullah, and he said yes, Hizbullah has become stronger. He described the situation, and it is not correct that the Defense Minister should correct him."

No, it's worse than not correct. It's delusional. It's fiddling while the country continues to burn and Peretz, Prime Minister Ehud K. Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Feigele Livni continue to fiddle as Israel burns.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:55 AM