Mazuz asks Olmert to quickly form a commission  tasked with assassinations

 

Date: 11-17-2008

 

 

Menachem Mazuz,  government legal advisor, asked, on  Monday, Ehud Olmert, Prime Minister, to  quickly form  a commission  tasked with assassinations, in compliance with a supreme court decision.

 

Mazuz’s request, according to the website of the Yediot Aharonot, was in the form of a letter that had been delivered to Olmert's office, as Mazuz demanded in his letter to quickly form  a commission  tasked with assassinations, in compliance with a supreme court decision that had been taken 2 years ago. 

 

Mazuz said in his letter "in December 2006, the Supreme Court examined the legality of assassinations conducted by Israel and recommended the formation of a special commission to take in charge the  examination of assassinations against Palestinian activists. This led to a discussion with a representative of Mazuz and the concerned parties in the army and the Shin Bet. The discussion concluded by recommendations to form  the mentioned commission and by recommendations on its working methods. "

In 2007, another discussion was organized. The discussion was chaired by Olmert and participants included the Defense Minister, Minister of Justice, director of the Shin Bet, Military Prosecutor General and heads of other services unnamed in Mazuz’s letter. The discussion concluded by deciding the formation of the assassinations examination commission which was known as "Ed - Hawk", that was headed by reserve General Tefsi Anbar. The commission was tasked to examine a specific assassination operation, which is that conducted against Salah Shehada. The commission was formed and performed its tasks.

 

Mazuz added in his letter that: "Even though this has not made a decision to form a permanent commission tasked with planning assassinations, under the pretext of the need to further study and research on the dimensions of the Supreme Court's decision."

 

Mazuz affirmed that he had urged, in his previous he sent to Olmert in January 2008 and that included the formation of the commission on the assassination of Salah Shehad,  making a decision on the formation of a permanent commission, because any delay would be interpreted as a contempt for the supreme court decision. This resulted in a new discussion in February 2008 that was headed by Olmert, and that concluded, with the consent of the Defense Minister and under legal recommendation, by the recommendation to form the permanent commission on the examination of assassinations, the formation of such commission would be later in deliberations between the Prime Minister and the security services. Since then, despite the passage of many months, the commission was not formed, although there was a supreme court decision and although there was a field necessity for this commission.  

 

 

Mazuz explained in his letter that about a year ago, a draft proposal was developed, during prolonged discussions, to be submitted to the Government to decide on the formation of the commission and on its working methods. This was known by the competent authorities in the army and Shin Bet.

 

Mazuz thinks that there is no need to approve this draft proposal by a government decision, and that it is enough to have a decision only by  the security cabinet or to have a joint decision by the Prime Minister and Defense Minister.

 

 

The Minister of Transportation Shaul Mofaz asked Israel to stop negotiations and begin the implementation of a new policy of assassinations, as issued yesterday on  the Yediot Arhrnot (Israel must stop talking and start implementing the assassination policy against Hamas leaders and a plan must be processed and presented immediately to the cabinet(.