Israeli DM Accuses Olmert, Other War Critics of ‘Serving Iran’

Says Former PM Traveling the World Helping Iran

Speaking today with the Yisraeli Hayom newspaper, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak loudly condemned former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, with whom he served in a coalition government, accusing him and two other retired security officials critical of the Barak-Netanyahu push for war of “serving Iran.”

Numerous figures in the Netanyahu government have expressed annoyance at the public criticism of their prospective war, but Barak was the first to accuse them of aiding the enemy to Israel’s detriment by warning against starting a war.

Despite a growing chorus of former officials speaking out against the war, including former Shin Bet head Diskin, who accused Netanyahu of a “messianic” fervor to start such a conflict, Barak has insisted such a strike could come at any time.

In the interview, Barak went on to say that disagreements about the wisdom of attacking Iran can’t be “discussed openly without the discussion causing damage” to the war effort. The current government has been pushing the so-called “Dagan Law” which would actually criminalize former officials discussing the war in a negative light.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.