Gilad Suspended as Egypt Mediator after Criticizing Olmert

"Israeli" Major General (Res.) Amos Gilad, head of the "Israeli" War Ministry's Diplomatic-Security Bureau, has been suspended from his position as "Israel's" special emissary to Egypt following after blasting "Israeli" Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in a Ma'ariv interview last week.

As a result, the talks with Cairo are being held through alternative channels, sources in the "Israeli" Prime Minister's Office said Sunday night. They added that the talks for the release of captured occupation soldier Gilad Shalit have not been affected. Gilad refused to apologize to Olmert over remarks he made to the media about the "Israeli" prime minister. As a result, the disconnection between the sides worsened, and the Prime Minister's Office filed a complaint against Gilad with the Civil Service Commission.

Gilad is no longer invited to discussions on the talks with Egypt on a truce arrangement with Hamas, ways to halt the arms smuggling on the border and securing Shalit's release.

On the eve of a critical discussion in the "Israeli" security cabinet last Wednesday, where it was decided to link opening the Gaza border crossings to the release of Shalit, Gilad was quoted in the "Israeli" daily Maariv as saying, "I don't understand what they are trying to do. Insult the Egyptians? We've already done that. This is insanity, simply insanity. Egypt remains almost our last ally here. For what? We are harming national security."

Gilad was responding to criticism directed at him from the Prime Minister's Office, to the effect that he acted independently with the Egyptians and was dragging Olmert into a cease-fire agreement he didn't want.

Gilad sharply refuted the allegations, saying that everything he did was recorded and sent on to Olmert. "I was briefed before every trip I took, and briefed the war minister and prime minister when I returned, usually that same night," he told Maariv.

Olmert rebuked Gilad before the cabinet meeting last Wednesday. Gilad's refusal to apologize only worsened the conflict. On Sunday, Olmert's bureau filed an official complaint against Gilad with Civil Service Commissioner Shmuel Hollander. Director-General of the Prime Minister's Office General Ra'anan Dinur, who filed the complaint, wrote that the remarks published in Maariv constitute inappropriate criticism by a senior government official against an incumbent prime minister and his office.

Dinur called the remarks "embarrassing and significantly harmful," saying that they "reflect behavior unsuited to Gilad's position as a prime ministerial envoy."

The rift became wider after "Israeli" War Minister Ehud Barak issued a statement of support for Gilad and after Channel 2 reported of the complaint filed with the Civil Service Commission.

The war minister's statement said that "the defense (war) establishment believes we should focus on advancing Gilad Shalit's release and utilizing the achievements of Operation Cast Lead instead of intra-governmental disputes."

The statement went on to say that "Major General (Res.) Amos Gilad is a dedicated and outstanding civil servant who has contributed to the State's security for dozens of years and is known for his seriousness, responsibility and integrity. This is how he acted throughout the way, as well as with the handling of the relations with Egypt, during and after Operation Cast Lead, with the complete and continuous guidance of the narrow forum and the cabinet."

"It's a shame that in the last days of his government, the prime minister chose an extreme way of attacking and attempting to exercise the full rigor of the law with a dedicated and excellent civil servant."

Olmert was asked by Ynet last week whether Gilad had been removed from his position as "Israel's" special emissary to Egypt. He replied, "I don't wish to refer to government workers and I have not referred to government workers in other frameworks. The things I have to say to government workers are said directly to them and to their bosses, and will be said in the required procedures against people who go beyond the limits of their authority."

Beyond the high tensions between Olmert and Barak, which were expressed in harsh remarks made by both sides, the heated clash, in essence, closes the channel managed by Gilad as the narrow forum's special delegate. The talks with Egypt are now being held by the "Israeli" prime minister's men - diplomatic advisor Shalom Turgeman and Olmert's special delegate in charge of the talks for Gilad Shalit's release, Ofer Dekel.