What was said about Hamas in Israel's Cabinet Meeting

In Yediot Acharonoth (translated from the Hebrew) today, Nahum Barnea discusses an argument that erupted in a cabinet meeting between Ehud Olmert, Tzipi Livni, and Ehud Barak on the Israeli-Hamas cease-fire talks brokered by Egypt. That argument, while it screams political rivalry, also presents the greater debate over making political deals with ones enemies.

Nahum Barnea:

In the cabinet meeting on Sunday, Director of Military Intelligence Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin gave a long lecture.  Among other things, he mentioned the arrangement with Hamas. I am summarizing here what was said.

Olmert: "At no stage did any official decide to reach an arrangement following Operation Cast Lead."

Yadlin: "But I saw that there were talks on the topic of an arrangement."

Olmert: "Yes, perhaps between the Egyptians and Hamas."

Barak: "Regarding the exchange between the prime minister and the director of Military Intelligence on the matter of the arrangement, I want to voice my position regarding the reality, even though I know it differs from the prime minister's position.

"To the best of my knowledge, there were talks for an arrangement through the Egyptians.  In fact, things like the crossings or the battle against smuggling and the quiet in the southern communities are also an arrangement, even if they are not called by this name.  These also affect the acceleration of the process of Shalit's return.

"There is a truth that the cabinet members must realize: Every large-scale operation, every war in Israel's history, ended with a diplomatic outcome."

Livni: "What about Operation Defensive Shield?"

Barak: "After Operation Defensive Shield there were 550 more Israeli fatalities."

Livni: "This is not because the operation didn't end in an arrangement."

Barak: "This means that the operation was only a station on the way to a reality at the end of which the wave [of terror] subsided.

"The talks for an arrangement were not conducted by means of Amos Gilad, but also by representatives of the prime minister, including political adviser Shalom Turjeman and the GSS director."

Olmert: "They did not deal with the topic of an arrangement.

Absolutely not."

Barak: "I propose not to get into this matter, certainly not in this forum."

Olmert: "All the same, it's important to know.  After all, your grandson will write a paper one day and will read the minutes."

Olmert reminded Barak that in the cabinet meeting two weeks ago, it was decided unanimously to halt the negotiations with the Egyptians on opening the crossings.  Barak voted in favor.

Barak: "I'm not sure that the decision was justified, but it was legitimate... I think we could have been in a situation today where we would be conducting the discussions on Shalit in a more comfortable environment, with quiet in the south in the background.  When we have a practical option to be in a state of quiet, we should examine it."

Olmert: "I have to say that you are continuing with your tactic of deceiving the entire world and saying things that are groundless.  We went to a truce in June 2008. The talks were conducted by you. Your approach, then as now, was to reach something vague, imprecise, implicit, unwritten.  Without explicit understandings we may lose critical security interests.