Israel:Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert and defence minister Amir Peretz faced renewed questions yesterday about their management of Israel's military campaign against Hizbullah in Lebanon last summer, after the army chief-of-staff announced his resignation.
While Lieut Gen Dan Halutz, a former fighter pilot, had resisted persistent calls to stand down, he finally succumbed after it became clear that a government-appointed investigation into the war, which is expected to present its findings in a few weeks, planned to label him as one of the main people responsible for the flawed handling of the campaign.
In what was viewed by some as a barb aimed at Mr Olmert and Mr Peretz, the army chief said yesterday evening - in his first public appearance since announcing he was standing down - that the essence of leadership was "the readiness to take responsibility".
Senior military officers, who felt Lieut Gen Halutz's stubborn refusal to step down was damaging the army, expressed relief, saying it was "high time" their commander quit.
Ran Cohen, a member of the dovish Meretz party and a former high-ranking officer, also welcomed the decision, saying "when a war is clearly mismanaged, there is no doubt the chief-of-staff is responsible". But Mr Cohen, like other politicians, said the country's leaders, who took the decision to launch the military campaign in Lebanon, also had to shoulder responsibility. "The responsibility is shared by him [ Halutz], the prime minister and the defence minister, and sooner or later, they too will have to leave," he said.
"Halutz's step was unavoidable," agreed Ophir Pines-Paz, a member of Mr Peretz's Labour Party, "but he was not the only one responsible for the failures of the war - the government was too".
While Mr Olmert enjoyed broad support when he launched a fierce response to Hizbullah's killing of three Israeli soldiers and kidnapping of two others in a cross-border raid in mid-July, the military's inability to stem the daily firing of rockets into Israel and the inconclusive outcome shattered public confidence in him.
The two soldiers are still being held by Hizbullah.
The prime minister's 10-month term in office has also been plagued by corruption-related affairs, the latest being a decision on Tuesday by the state prosecutor to launch a criminal inquiry into Mr Olmert's involvement in the sale of one of the country's leading banks two years ago, when he was finance minister.
A recent poll showed support for the prime minister to be devastating low, at just 14 per cent.
While there is no clear majority in parliament for new elections, some members of Mr Olmert's ruling Kadima party are said to be toying with the idea of replacing him if it becomes clear that his political standing is irredeemable. A recent opinion poll revealed that Kadima would plummet from 29 seats in the current parliament to just 12 if new elections were held.
Mr Peretz has also faced repeated calls to resign as defence minister and his standing within the Labour Party has become increasingly shaky.
He faces multiple leadership challenges ahead of an internal party primary scheduled for May.
The defence minister, who will appoint the new chief-of-staff, began meeting potential candidates last night, while officials in Mr Olmert's office said that a decision was likely by next week.
However, questions were already being asked yesterday as to whether the two men could decide on the next military chief when their conduct during the war is also being scrutinised by the government investigation.