Accountability

Holding civilian and military leaders accountable for starting a war without planning for contingencies. How novel.

JERUSALEM, Sept. 17 — The Israeli government established a committee on Sunday to investigate the political and military leadership’s handling of the recent war in Lebanon, which has come under intense public criticism in the month since the fighting ended.

In Israel, which expects swift and decisive military victories, many citizens say that the military campaign in Lebanon was poorly planned and executed, and that leaders should be held accountable. Israel could not halt the rocket fire into northern Israel by the Lebanese group Hezbollah, and it has not achieved the return of two soldiers Hezbollah captured in the cross-border raid on July 12 that ignited the monthlong conflict.

The committee “will examine the political leadership and the security echelon regarding all aspects of the campaign in Lebanon,” Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told his cabinet at the beginning of its weekly session.

The cabinet voted 20 to 2 for the committee, which will be led by a retired judge, Eliyahu Winograd.

However, dozens of protesters outside the prime minister’s office demanded that the investigation be carried out by a state commission. Such a commission would have greater power and be seen as more independent because it would be appointed by a Supreme Court judge instead of by the government it was investigating.

Mr. Olmert defended the cabinet decision, saying the committee would have the powers of a state commission, allowing it to subpoena witnesses and order police searches.

Many Israelis, including a large number of disgruntled reserve soldiers, have been demanding an inquiry since the fighting ended Aug. 14. Mr. Olmert has faced some of the harshest criticism, and his popularity has plummeted.

Critics have also called for the resignations of Defense Minister Amir Peretz and the military’s chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz. Last week, Maj. Gen. Udi Adam, who commanded the Israeli forces in northern Israel and southern Lebanon, submitted his resignation, the first senior figure to quit because of the war.

Maybe seven weeks and a day from now we can think about our own investigation.