Former prime minister Ehud Olmert fiercely attacked Defense Minister Ehud Barak
in a book that he is writing, portions of which were revealed to
The Jerusalem
Post on Thursday night.
Olmert is still angry at Barak, whose May 2008
press conference in which he demanded Olmert’s resignation due to corruption
allegations led to the apparent end of his political career.
“Barak
begged me to put him on Kadima’s Knesset list in 2006,” Olmert wrote, according
to a source who has seen the book. “He was even willing to be number 21 on the
list.”
Olmert also revealed in the book that when he was forming his
government, Barak begged him to appoint him defense minister instead of
then-Labor leader Amir Peretz, even though Barak was not in politics at the
time.
Quotes from the book were published Thursday in
Yediot Aharonot,
whose publishing house is publishing it.
According to the newspaper,
Olmert called Barak “a disappointing defense minister,” “an obsessive talker,”
“insulting, blunt, and rude,” and “lacking decision- making
capability.”
Olmert also said Barak made recommendations on sensitive
issues that were irresponsible and accused him of falling asleep in
meetings.
A source close to Barak responded by saying that the defense
minister “pitied Olmert” because of the multiple corruption charges he
is facing
and saw his criticism and frustration in that context.