Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert faced an onslaught of calls for his resignation on Tuesday and a Cabinet minister disillusioned by his leadership quit, following a government panel's harsh criticism of the Israeli leader's handling of last summer's Lebanon war, the Associated Press reported. Olmert defiantly declared that he would not quit after the panel's report was released Monday, despite the inquiry's conclusion that he showed flawed judgment in ordering and directing the conflict. His spokeswoman, Miri Eisin, said Tuesday he was confident he could recover his eroded authority.
