Netanyahu breaks Israeli silence over Syria Attack
Pastor Dale Morgan
Netanyahu breaks Israeli silence over Syria Attack*
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu has
broken an official silence over Syria's accusations that Israel bombed
its territory, hinting the reported mission was of strategic
significance and a success.
Asked during an Israeli television interview on Wednesday to comment on
"that operation that is so cloaked in secrecy", Netanyahu said: "I was
privy to the matter from the outset and I gave my backing. But it's too
early to be discussing this."
Netanyahu's remarks, broadcast live, flew in the face of Prime Minister
Ehud Olmert government's refusal to talk about the September 6 incident
and drew flak from rivals and allies alike who suggested the hawkish
ex-premier was vying for credit.
Asked if he had congratulated Olmert on completion of the mission, the
hawkish Likud party chief said: "In person? Yes."
Israeli media, chafing at two weeks of strict military censorship,
headlined what they called the first public acknowledgement by Israel
that it did indeed mount some form of incursion.
By noting that Olmert had consulted him before the incident, Netanyahu
appeared to signal the operation had been especially important.
In the past, Israeli opposition leaders have been briefed in advance
about some of the state's most daring exploits, such as the 1981 bombing
of Iraq's nuclear reactor and the 1976 rescue of hijacked Israeli air
passengers in Entebbe, Uganda.
Syrian officials have said that their air defenses forced Israeli jets
to flee, dropping bombs harmlessly in the desert.
However, U.S. and other officials have said Israel attacked Syrian
targets that may have had links to North Korean nuclear arms or Iranian
weapons for Lebanon's Hezbollah group.
BRAGGING RIGHTS
Olmert aides were quick to denounce Netanyahu -- though, seemingly
mindful of orders imposing official silence, they did so only in
off-record conversations with Israeli journalists.
"They think he wanted to brag but ended up showing just how reckless he
can be," said Army Radio's political correspondent Ilil Shahar.
Opinion polls indicate that patchy reports on the Syrian incident have
buoyed Olmert's popularity, which has been in the doldrums since last
year's war with Hezbollah. One poll showed his rating up 10 points. That
stirred speculation that Netanyahu was vying for credit ahead of a
future bid to retake top office.
"Best-case scenario -- he suffered a slip of the lip," said Hanan
Krystal, political commentator for Israel Radio. "But we are reminded of
the phrase that 'success has many fathers', which raises the possibility
that he did this on purpose."
Even allies of the usually media-savvy Netanyahu allowed that his
comments were perhaps unwise: "It wasn't one of the best statements to
make," said Likud lawmaker Yuval Steinitz.
"But this will turn out to be a storm in a teacup."