Druze

The Prime Minister led in the worst way. He chose to do something and then when he started, he was indecisive. Some Units got orders to go across north over 20 different times only to get them canceled in the last second. Those orders come from the top.
Relying on the air force is something that Israel has never before done. Israel launched its first American Shock and Awe campaign with this war and while they shocked and awed everyone, they didn't acheive their goals.

Worst thing a President or Prime Minister can do is set unattainable goals.

Olmert's two goals
-get back the two soldiers
-Destory Hezbollah

Israel's military commanders probably told Olmert after he uttered out objective #2 that it isn't really possible to get rid of a native armed gorup that entrenched. It just isn't militarily possible without a full occupation and martial law. It was bravado talking and the military had to serve political goals made by political statements rather then a comprehensive tactical campaign.
Israel managed to acheive its goal in 1982 which was kicking the PLO out of Lebanon but they weren't native to Lebanon and they weren't liked by any of Lebanon's sects.

If Olmert had stated instead that the objective is to show nations that if they let 3rd party groups impede their soverignty to Israel's harm then they should not expect Israel to respect their soverignty either and there will be a large price to pay. That would have been a goal the military could guarantee and did.
Also Olmert was too worried about another Lebanon occupation that he neglected the obvious truth that the rockets won't stop until the ground they are launched from is seized and secured.
The worst mistake of Olmert was that his adminstration was more occupied in the first few days of the war by the missing soldiers and the consquences of war then by the tactical situation with the rockets landing on Israel. Those rockets could have relatively been easily stopped had they been focused on early on.

If the US couldn't find massive Scud launchers that were firing at Israel in 91 it should have been realized that launchers the size of my coffee table weren't going to be destroyed by a mighty air force.

The military has done its part since the war and so has the Israeli people. Israel's elite units are getting more volunteers then ever before and reservists are training very hard during their yearly's. I read yesterday that reservists are doing hard training for up to 44 days a year in many units.

In regards to the Defense Minister I can't really go into detail on my opinion as I simply get too upset thinking about "Stalinsky" as he is called here for his ridiculous mustache. Here is a man whose military career ended when a jeep he was fixing fell on his foot.

If you went to visit Ariel Sharon in his coma bed and whispered into his ear that Amir Peretz the former Teamsters like Union president is defense minister he would probably flatline in a heartbeat.