The man of truth, the one who stands for everything that is straight and true is Yaakov. Yet he also stands accused. Accused of being a liar - by his own brother. 

If we are going to say 'oh, it was a white lie...he had to do it etc.', it doesn't seem particularly apposite for the paradigm model of honesty. Give him another Middah instead and then we can brush this under the carpet...

But, no - there must be a deeper reason that he is picked out and identified as the epitome of honesty and truth. We may have our definitions wrong - there is short-term, short-sighted truth. ANd then there is real long-term, eternal truth. That is the truth which will create real harmony in creation.