Hoping to bolster his position within the Labor party, but jeopardizing his place in the coalition, Defense Minister Amir Peretz announced Thursday that he was joining the mounting calls for a state commission of inquiry. Peretz's decision puts him in the opposition to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert plan, which calls for two commissions of inquiry and avoids the broader investigation a state commission would conduct. "I will be willing to stand before any type of inquiry into my conduct during the war," said Peretz. "In this war there were uncovered various failures on a number of levels, we need to check and investigate them without compromise." | “It is unclear that this will be the straw that breaks the coalition. But the strain is certainly building...” |
Sources close to Peretz, meanwhile, said he hoped that his decision would not bring an end to his relationship with Olmert. "He does not feel that this should be enough to oust Labor from the coalition," said an aide close to Peretz. "He hopes to remain in the coalition, and hold onto his position as defense minister, for the foreseeable future."