In a meeting with Defense Minister Amir Peretz on Thursday evening, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ordered the delay of an IDF incursion into northern Gaza . Government sources emphasized that the order was not a cancellation, but rather a postponement. The delay is related to an undisclosed development on the diplomatic front.
Earlier Thursday, Peretz revealed that a "surprising diplomatic breakthrough" was possible in the attempts to release kidnapped Cpl. Gilad Shalit, but did not elaborate on the development. "We are in one of the most crucial stages of establishing the rules of conduct between us and the Palestinian terror organizations," he asserted. His aides, however, said that diplomatic efforts "were not bearing fruit," but added that a new development was possible soon.
But Debkafile offers a far more plausible explanation of a diplomatic breakdown between Israeli coalition partners for the delay:
The armored forces and tanks which rolled into southern Gaza Tuesday night have been stationary for 24 hours, only directing desultory artillery fire at empty ground in the north. Amir Peretz is blocking a swift and expeditious offensive urged by the prime minister’ Ehud Olmert and the IDF high command to rescue Gilead Shalit, the Israeli corporal kidnapped by Hamas Sunday, June 25, and eradicate the Qassam missile infrastructure.
Yet the prime minister is hesitating to pull rank and pass orders to the army over the defense minister’s head Peretz is clinging to a policy of “restraint and diplomacy,” despite the complete breakdown of mediated negotiations in the early hours of the abduction. The prime minister’s office and general command report that no serious diplomatic bid to negotiate the soldier’s release has been floated for 48 hours. None of the intermediaries report progress, even the live wire, Egyptian intelligence chief, Omar Suleiman.
PMO officials and top commanders are furious with the defense minister and take strong exception to his assertion Thursday: “We stand at one of the most significant moments for setting new game rules between us and terrorist elements in the Palestinian Authority.”
Now I have mixed feelings about Debkafile, sometimes the information is outstandingly good (for example, coverage of the US invasion of Iraq) and then there are the times when the leads literally lead to the Well of Lost Plots. Generally, one invokes the 24 hour 'wait and see' rule with Debkafile.
Amir Peretz heads the Israeli Labor party (way, way, to the left of our own NDP). The second largest party represented in the Israeli Knesset and Kadima’s vital coalition party without which Olmert would be unable to be Prime Minister. Despite Peretz’s unfortunate resemblance to Joseph Stalin, he could be characterized as First Dove among Doves.
There were rumors that the only two portfolios Peretz was interested in assuming were Finance or Defense. I suppose Kadima felt the country could survive a Leftie in Defense but the country’s economy would tank so badly that generations would have to pass before it could recover from what a Peretz could sow.
Of course, the country might not survive a Peretz in Defense either; especial if Debka’s right and no one helps Peretz locate his balls – fast. As the good Baroness would say; now is not the time to go all wobbly.
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