Despite misgivings, senior officers impressed with new defense minister

By Amos Harel
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/715055.html

Such a flurry of security activity has not been seen in Labor's dark,
somewhat faded headquarters in Tel Aviv's Hatikva Quarter for years. The Shin
Bet security service bodyguards come and go, making sure the curtain in party
chairman Amir Peretz's window is drawn and that the various entrances are
covered.

The new defense minister is still a mystery to the military brass. Most
of their information about him comes from the satirical television program "A
Wonderful Country." An air of unease prevailed at the first meeting between
Peretz and the General Staff, as one by one the generals presented themselves
to the minister and said a few words about their background. They did not have
to go through that ritual with Shaul Mofaz, who catapulted with record speed
from the chief of staff's seat to the defense minister's armchair after
commanding them for many years.





The discomfort was quickly dispelled, however. Despite their misgivings,
the officers were impressed by Peretz's intelligent and pertinent questions.
In the end, the role of the military is to take orders. The General Staff will
swiftly toe the new minister's line, and Chief of Staff Dan Halutz will
sharply remind any general who dissents.

Halutz seems to be taking pains to get along with Peretz. Neither side
has anything to gain from clashing at this early stage.

The defense minister must formulate a policy of his own quickly in order
to stop the questions about his suitability for the post. His first week in
office provided several opportunities for this. Peretz is emphasizing the
points on which he differs from Mofaz, but he will not stretch them too far.
Anyone who expects him to stop the assassinations in Gaza is forgetting that
Peretz lives in Sderot, which is being hit by more Qassam rockets than ever
now. Besides, he would not like to clash with his political ally, Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert.

However, Peretz has pinpointed areas in which he can be effective. He
can ease military rigidity toward the Palestinians, crack down on lawbreaking
settlers and position Labor at the dovish end of the government's political
spectrum.

Peretz is still sending out vague messages on the defense budget,
another key issue. As for the Iranian nuclear issue, which could cast a shadow
on the Olmert government's term, he has so far kept mum, and rightly so.

The day after he was sworn in, Peretz approved his first aerial attack
in the Gaza Strip. Five members of the Popular Resistance Committees were
killed. No civilians were hurt. Before the assault, the minister studied the
aerial photographs and asked the officers for detailed explanations - how many
civilians were expected to be in the targeted area and whether children
returning from school were likely to pass there. Next week, he will reexamine
the policy regarding artillery fire on Gaza. He is concerned about both the
noise made by the endless shelling, which is plaguing Negev communities, and
by the casualties on the other side.

Peretz found out only on Wednesday about the settlers' harassment of
Palestinian children near the illegal Maon Farm outpost. He sounded shocked,
demanded explanations and instructed the army to bolster security there. It is
doubtful whether these measures will suffice, but they already make a sharp
contrast to Mofaz, who displayed indifference to such instances of distress.

Peretz also intends to jump start the dismantling of illegal outposts.
All his predecessors who tried this failed, and it is doubtful whether he will
succeed.

On the diplomatic front, Peretz can see that Israel's rigid policy
toward the Hamas government is problematic: The Palestinian Authority's
humanitarian crisis has tipped the scales. The Quartet has found a way to meet
most of the PA's payroll, and without economic pressure, Hamas will not
collapse. If Hamas stops terror attacks by other groups, international
opposition will be further eroded. This is why Peretz favors new talks with PA
Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, transferring funds to the PA for medicines and
alleviating the restrictions on merchandise passing through the Karni
crossing.

Peretz promised the generals that he would not allow budget cuts.
However, even he will have difficulty preventing cutbacks completely.

On one issue, Peretz is adamant. He objects to the Shin Bet's wish to
reinforce the roof of his house against rocket attacks. He has no problem with
measures ensuring his safety as defense minister, but will not accept better
protection from Qassam fire than his neighbors in Sderot receive.