Last August Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel correctly appointed a Committee of Inquiry, under the chairmanship of Eliyahu Winograd, a retired judge, to look into Israel’s war, fought mainly in Lebanon, against Hezbollah. The Times (Aug. 17) reported the inquiry would examine: “... the military state of readiness before and during the 34-day conflict, amid allegations that it was ill prepared, had bad intelligence about Hezbollah’s capabilities and was too timid in launching a large-scale ground campaign.”

The five-member panel took six months to carry out their investigations. It will be remembered the conflict started on July 12 when Hezbollah killed three Israeli soldiers in a raid into Israel and captured two others. During the war that followed, Israel failed to get back their two seized soldiers, inflict an overwhelming blow on Hezbollah or prevent that Iranian-backed group from firing thousands of rockets into northern and central Israel. It is believed over one thousand Lebanese civilians and combatants were killed in the fighting. 119 Israeli soldiers and 39 civilians also lost their lives. The damage inflicted on Lebanon was immense.

The inquiry’s conclusions, delivered on April 30, were devastating:

“The prime minister bears supreme and comprehensive responsibility for the decisions of ‘his’ government and the operations of the army. The prime minister made up his mind hastily, despite the fact that no detailed military plan was submitted to him and without asking for one. Also, his decision was made without close study of the complex features of the Lebanon front and of the military, political and diplomatic options available to Israel.”

The inquiry considered the prime minister’s response to the crisis showed a “lack of judgment, responsibility and caution.”

Olmert’s reply to these very severe criticisms seemed to me to be pathetic. He said that the “failures will be remedied”. Most of the failures that occurred last summer cannot now be put right, though, presumably, military procedures and planning could be improved in the future.

The inquiry also had scathing criticisms of Amir Peretz, the defense minister, and Gen. Dan Halutz, the former Israeli armed forces chief of staff, who resigned over Lebanon in January. The panel Members thought the defense minister lacked the basic knowledge to make decisions on the conflict and failed to put forward a strategic plan. After that the defense minister has little reputation still to lose!

Amnon Abramovitch, a respected political commentator, said on Israeli TV of the report: “Only one sentence is missing: ‘This being the case, he (the prime minister) cannot continue in his post’.”

I entirely agree; but Israeli journalists, while acknowledging the pressure on Olmert to step down is enormous, seem to think he will continue in office if only for a few more weeks. On Wednesday Tzipi Livni, the foreign minister, demanded his resignation and said she would be a candidate to replace him when the moment came. (She does not believe that relations with the Palestinians is the core issue for Israel.) One Labor cabinet minister, Eitan Cabel, has already resigned. It appears the majority of the prime minister’s party, Kadima, think Olmert’s time is up.

The prime minister has ended up in an extraordinary political position. Israeli newspapers are clear he should resign. An Israeli Radio poll claimed that 69 percent of those asked thought he should go. His rating in another public opinion poll was only a derisory 2 percent! There have been well attended rallies in Tel Aviv when thousands called for the government to be dissolved.

However, Kadima and Labor which together make up the ruling coalition, as they hold 78 of the 120 seats in the Knesset, are only too aware if there should be fresh elections the right-wing opposition, headed by former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu would be expected to win them.

Most Israelis were in favor of resolute and decisive action to remove the threat to Israel from Hezbollah’s rockets. Israel’s armed forces are the fourth strongest on the globe, and since the birth of Israel they have become accustomed to winning wars.

Israeli politicians and defense chiefs last summer did not comprehend what Hezbollah was all about. They created totally unrealistic expectations and they overrelied on the use of air power.

There is little evidence that, if a conflict with Hezbollah’s skilled fighters should start up again, Israel would have a more effective response.