OLMERT'S TRIAL BEGINS

Ehud Olmert, the former prime minister of Israel who's disgraced himself with corruption, appeared at his first official trial today, acting like a victim:

JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel's former prime minister, Ehud Olmert, appeared in a Jerusalem courtroom on Friday for a hearing that marks the first time any current or past Israeli head of government has stood trial.

The opening of court proceedings is the latest chapter in a legal saga that weakened Olmert's leadership, undermined public confidence in government and eventually drove him from office.

The 63-year-old Olmert left politics when his rival, Benjamin Netanyahu, became prime minister last March, and has largely been out of the public eye since then.

Entering the court, Olmert told reporters that he had been subjected to an "ordeal of slanders and investigations."

"I come here as a man innocent of any crime, and I believe I will leave here as a man innocent of any crime," Olmert told reporters at the court.

He's not helping himself by pleading victimhood. But that's the whine-whine attitude he's been putting on display for at least 2 years now.

Olmert faces charges of illegally accepting funds from an American supporter and double-billing Jewish groups for trips abroad, among others.

The incidents in question date from his time as Jerusalem mayor and later as a Cabinet minister, but emerged after he was elected prime minister in 2006. Olmert eventually stepped down because of the allegations, triggering elections that led to the formation of the Netanyahu government currently in power.

The formal charges include fraud and breach of trust. Israel's Justice Ministry has not said what penalties Olmert could face, but the fraud charge alone could carry a prison term of up to five years.

Good. Let's hope he gets time in the pen then. He was one of the worst politicians Israel's ever had, and for his grevious sins, including his poor interactions with Fatah, he deserves to be convicted.

ISRAELI POLICE RECOMMEND INDICTMENTS FOR OLMERT

Although the attorney-general decided to close the Cremieux case, the police are recommending an indictment of Ehud Olmert for a few other crimes he committed in his past years as a minister:

Police on Monday recommended indicting former prime minister Ehud Olmert for allegedly appointing acquaintances from Likud to a range of positions and granting them benefits in an improper manner.

The police statement was made hours after Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz announced his decision to close another case against Olmert - one involving alleged irregularities in his purchase of a home on Jerusalem's Rehov Cremieux.

The benefited individuals in the appointments case hail from a host of companies - including Bezeq, the Israel Postal Company, the Small Business Authority and the Labor Court - which Olmert had authority over during the period in question, police said.

"During the months of investigation, some 400 people involved were interrogated and testified regarding 260 appointments or benefits," police added.

"The investigation team is convinced that there is evidence that Mr. Olmert, Oved Yehezkel - his former senior assistant, and Ra'anan Dinur - former CEO of the Trade Industry and Labor Ministry, acted out of a severe conflict of interests when granting promotions and benefits for their acquaintances, members of the Likud Central Committee," police said.

[...]

Police said it found evidence of improper benefits, appointments and actions to promote Likud Central Committee members and activists, as well as proof that Olmert answered requests to guarantee the jobs of acquaintances or prevented them from being fired.

I hope that Olmert is finally indicted for something, because the attorney-general seems intent on avoiding it. Mazuz is a problem, believe me.

NEW CHARGES LEVELED AT OLMERT

Corruption charge 1,000,000 looks to be filed:

(IsraelNN.com) Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has been implicated in a new corruption scandal. A report put out Monday by State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss accuses Olmert of using his political pull to get an irregular loan approved.

Olmert pressured then Treasury Accountant-General Yaron Zehalka to approve a loan for the Jerusalem Engineering College, Lindenstrauss found. The alleged incident took place while Olmert served as Finance Minister.

I hope that a new government will be formed soon, so that then, he'll really have to step down and face them.

OLMERT THE TERRORIST RELEASER

Frimet Roth writes on FPM about Ehud Olmert's obsession with releasing terrorists. Indeed, that seems to be one of the few things he's "good" at, which gives some insight into just how demented his brain really is.

See also here for an earlier related report.

"I PLAN TO INDICT YOU IN RISHONTOURS AFFAIR"

That's what Israel's attorney-general is now telling Ehud Olmert:

Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz notified Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Wednesday that he planned to indict him on several criminal charges relating to the Rishon Tours affair.

Mazuz told Olmert to expect an indictment on charges of fraudulent receipt of goods under aggravated circumstances, fraud, breach of public trust, false registration in corporate documents and tax evasion.

The prime minister is suspected of having sent bills to more than one non-profit organization for trips that he made abroad to raise money for them. When he spoke on behalf of two or three different non-profit organizations on the same trip, he would charge each of them the full flight fare.

According to the allegations, the extra money went into a special account managed by Rishon Tours, his travel agency, and was used to pay for private trips made by him and his family. Police estimate that he collected $110,000 by this system.

The Jerusalem district attorney notified the prime minister's close aide Shula Zaken that she, too, would be indicted for her alleged involvement in affair.

Prior to the final decision on the matter, Mazuz will hold a hearing during which Olmert's attorneys will have a chance to present factual and legal arguments.

The prime minister released a statement saying, "I was shocked to read details over which I haven't even been interrogated."

Olmert's lawyers said that their client "vehemently rejects the accusations leveled against him in the 'Rishon Tours' case."

They said that the decision to summon the prime minister for a hearing in the case, while other investigations were still ongoing, was "astonishing and unreasonable."

Also Wednesday, Ra'anan Dinur, the director-general of the Prime Minister's Office, was interrogated under caution by the National Fraud Unit over suspicions of fraud and breach of public trust.

The suspicions are tied to Dinur's alleged involvement in political appointments during his term as director-general of the Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry, between 2003 and 2006, when Prime Minister Ehud Olmert headed the ministry.

Cabinet Secretary Oved Yehzekel, who served at that time as a senior aide to Olmert was also interrogated in recent days, the National Fraud Unit said.

On the TV news, it was said that, in reaction to this, Olmert nixed a program whose purpose was to help Israel's local economy, which is also in trouble. That's certainly quite a way to show how spiteful he is. I certainly hope he gets jail time when he finally leaves.

OLMERT SAYS HE'LL RELEASE TERRORISTS

In the last days of his being a "leader", Ehud Olmert clearly wants revenge for daring to bring him down:

(IsraelNN.com) Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has promised to release yet another 250 terrorists from prison, as a goodwill holiday gesture to PA chief Mahmoud Abbas.

Olmert made the promise in a meeting with Abbas in Jerusalem on Monday afternoon.

MK Ruby Rivlin (Likud) said about the news of the planned release, "We are tired of Olmert and his political tricks. He is no longer relevant to the diplomatic process and he may not obligate himself in the name of the State of Israel."

Olmert is quite simply disgusting.

OLMERT'S 9TH QUIZZING BY POLICE

Ehud Olmert, still as disrespectful as ever, undergoes his ninth interrogation yet.

Eventually, he's going to go down for his crimes, and learn an important lesson.

WHERE WOULD OLMERT WANT TO LIVE AFTER HE LEAVES OFFICE

Ruthie Blum Leibowitz, in her latest JPost column, has another note to make about Ehud Olmert and his real estate scandals:

In a short piece headlined "Olmert wants to live on Rehov Barak," (October 13), Ofer Petersburg gave readers yet another glimpse into the real-estate interests of the outgoing prime minister and his wife, Aliza. According to the report, the couple has been eyeing a NIS 10 million villa - on a half-dunam plot - in the upscale North Tel Aviv neighborhood of Tzahala, though they'll be looking at other properties before making up their minds where they will settle after leaving the prime minister's residence. And just so we should all be clear - and disapproving - Petersburg reminded us that the Olmerts already own an apartment in Tel Aviv, as well as the house on Rehov Cremieux in Jerusalem... you know, the one he's under investigation for.

Apartments he doesn't deserve to have, I'd say.

FINALLY: EHUD OLMERT RESIGNS

It took at least two years, during which this disgraceful man did quite a few reprehensible things, but now, Ehud Olmert has finally announced his resignation. And it took place this evening at 7:30 PM, Israeli time. (Update: here's the news in English.)

Of course he's not the only politician as corrupt as he's been, there's been quite a few others. And it won't be sad to see him go either.

What I want to know now though is, will he ever be indicted for his corrupt actions? Who knows?

At the same time, let's not forget that Tzipi Livni is no better than him, and those concerned for Israel should be keep an eye on what she does, if she does indeed become prime minister. See on Power Line and A Blog for All for more.

OLMERT DEMANDED DOUGH FOR SPEAKING AT CONFERENCE

Another revelation about Olmert's obsession with money:

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert demanded $5,000 dollars after speaking at a fund raising event for an organization that runs the Sarel IDF volunteer program, Channel 10 reported Wednesday.

The TV channel quoted Sarel founder Col. Aharon Davidi (ret.), a former OC Paratroops and Infantry, as saying that in 1994, when Olmert was Jerusalem mayor, Davidi asked him to speak at an event in New York.

According to the report, Olmert agreed and said that not only would he come, but he would also bring then-New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.

Davidi, who also served as former prime minister Ariel Sharon's deputy in the IDF Paratroopers, said that two months after the event, he got a call from Olmert's office demanding $5,000 to cover the then-Jerusalem mayor's expenses.

A shocked Davidi said that he could not pay such an amount since his organization existed on donations alone.

Eventually, Davidi compromised on $2,000.

An Olmert adviser told Channel 10 that he didn't have the means to either confirm or deny the report since the prime minister was on vacation and was therefore unavailable for comment.

Heh. I'd say Olmert's just too embarrassed to talk about it anymore.

MORE ON OLMERT'S RESIGNATION

Here's more on Ehud Olmert's resignation, and there's plenty more around the blogosphere now in discussion. Soccerdad's got more on the subject.

In this report, it's told that the police may urge an indictment of Olmert over the "Olmertours" and Talansky affairs. If they do, that'll be one more good thing, and yet one more that Olmert deserves.

A MOUNTING SPECULATION

What announcement does Ehud Olmert intend to make in the evening? Well, as it tells here (via Hot Air Headlines):

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will hold a special press conference on Wednesday at 8 p.m. Israel time, the Prime Minister's Office announced.

No further details were given as to the nature of the gathering.

Israeli media sources speculated Olmert was planning to announce either that he will not run in the Kadima primary election in September, or that he will step down right away.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who is currently in Washington, initially announced that she will be holding an unscheduled press conference two and a half hours after Olmert's, but about an hour before Olmert's was set the begin, she announced she will not be holding it.

Kadima's election committee decided on Tuesday to set an August 24 deadline to join the race, which it scheduled for September 17, giving Olmert less than a month to decide whether to join the leadership race or become "a lame duck."

A source close to Olmert denied a report that he would make a decision over the weekend and announce it next week. But another Olmert associate said the prime minister's attacks against the state prosecution last weekend and Labor chairman Ehud Barak on Monday were part of a last-ditch effort to revitalize himself politically, and if they did not work, he was ready to throw in the towel.

But they're not working, now are they? Few are impressed with him, and that's how it's been for some time now. He'll be doing the right thing by resigning, but only time will tell if he actually does, or is just making another attempt to borrow time.

Update: I've gotten to see the speech on television, and he's announced that no, he will not run in the upcoming primary, and will step down when a new leader is chosen.

Of course, as Yogi Berra said, "it ain't over till it's over."

OLMERT NOT COOPERATIVE WITH INVESTIGATORS

He may be due for questioning again next week, but according to recent reports, he'd rather defy responsibility:

A few hours after Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz criticized Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for "evading" detectives trying to schedule a fourth session of questioning, the premier's lawyers informed police that he would be available for questioning next Friday.

"Olmert's lawyers have said he's available for questioning next Friday, but we are not yet sure if this is when the interrogation will take place," a National Fraud Unit spokesman said. "We'll see."

However, according to various reports Friday, police had indeed agreed to question the prime minister next week.

Olmert's media adviser Amir Dan on Friday morning rejected Mazuz's criticism, saying that the prime minister had always complied with all questioning requests. "We would be pleased if with the same efficiency, and instead of wasting time, Mazuz would order an inquiry on the routine testimony leaks," he added.

Nevertheless, until Thursday, all efforts by the National Fraud Unit to schedule another interrogation session had been met with failure.

Police would like to question the prime minister about the cash-filled envelopes he allegedly received from Long Island businessman Morris Talansky, and the "Olmert-tours" investigation, in which he is suspected of double-billing several charities and a government ministry for travel arrangements, and using the excess to pay for personal family travels.

On Thursday, as part of his response to a High Court petition demanding Olmert's suspension, Mazuz wrote, "Police are facing significant obstacles in attempting to set a date for questioning the prime minister, as well as setting the number of hours the session should last. These are difficulties that the police has not faced in interrogations with other public officials, including previous prime ministers."

Police have cited difficulties in arranging another session since the start of the Talansky investigation, which some former senior officers say are deliberate efforts on the part of Olmert to delay the investigation.

Meanwhile, Kadima MK Tzahi Hanegbi told Israel Radio on Friday morning that Olmert was very angry and felt frustrated and helpless because he believed he wasn't being given the opportunity to prove his innocence due to the persistent leaks.

Regarding Mazuz's criticism, Hanegbi urged police and the Prime Minister's Office to reach an agreement over the interrogation sessions and not to argue in public over the timetable.

Olmert is only pulling out the victim card, and Hanegbi is only acting as his apologist. He's only whining, and whining, and whining, and not really trying to prove himself convincing at all.

WELL, IS THERE GOING TO BE A DECISION?

State attorney Moshe Lador says there will be decision made "very soon" on whether to indict Ehud Olmert. This clip says it'll be in two weeks.

What I want to know is, why are they taking their time? And what if they decide not to indict? Simply put, I have no idea if to trust them on this, and a decision will only be if one is made.

Update: while we're on the subject though, Olmert has called Tzipi Livni a "backstabbing liar". I guess the honeymoon's over, eh?

ISRAEL'S ATTORNEY GENERAL - MENAHEM MAZUZ - IS AVOIDING HIS RESPONSIBILITY

Mazuz, the attorney-general of Israel, is an otherwise faily corrupt official himself, and it seems that he's trying to avoid taking any responsibility in seeing to it that Olmert takes any as well. From Haaretz:

Attorney General Menachem Mazuz on Sunday evening said that he had no intention of declaring the prime minister incapacitated because it is not the attorney general's job to "appoint or dismiss prime ministers."

Responding to mounting pressure to declare Prime Minister Ehud Olmert incapacitated in light of several corruption investigations currently underway against him, Mazuz said "the continuation of the prime minister's term is in the hands of the political system, not the attorney general or the judicial system."

If Mazuz wanted to, I think he could see to it that an official indictment is declared against Ehud Olmert right now, but he isn't. And that's why I want to point out that Mazuz is part of the problem, as he is holding back in taking responsibility for dealing properly with Olmert. The question now is: how much longer is he going to take in letting it be known whether Olmert will face an official indictment for his crimes?

NEW SUSPICIONS AGAINST OLMERT

Yet more investigations are being launched against him:

(IsraelNN.com) In a joint statement issued early Friday afternoon, the police and Justice Ministry said that they are looking into new allegations against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. According to these allegations, Olmert used to have several bodies – including the government – finance his trips abroad when he was Mayor of Jerusalem and Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor.

According to the statement, "The travel agency which took care of his trips produced separate invoices for each of the bodies and public organizations that paid for the trips… In this way the sum total of the money that was received from the different bodies for the same trip was greater than the real expenditure for the flights, and the extra funds, in substantial amounts, that were – it is suspected – fraudulently obtained, were transferred to a special private account on Olmert's name that the travel agency managed for him. These funds were used to fund private trips abroad by Mr. Olmert and members of his family."

According to this article on NFC, a sixth investigation has been launched against one of the most extraordinarily dishonest politicians ever known here.

EHUD BARAK ZIGZAGS AGAIN

Well now, maybe this isn't too surprising, or shouldn't be. Just a day after Ehud Barak and the Labor party say they'd support a bill for dispersing the Knesset, they backtrack over the ostensible assurance that there will be primaries for a new leader in Kadima in a few months, which does little more than to give Ehud Olmert some more borrowed time. It says here:

The Labor-Kadima agreement does not specify when Olmert will actually step down from office, under the assumption that the primaries will produce another paty leader.

Politicians from the right and the left were quick to slam the deal. MK Zahava Gal-On (Meretz) criticized the Labor Party for allowing a prime minister under investigation of corruption charges to remain in power several additional months instead of replacing him with a "suitable" government immediately. One Likud Party spokesman said Labor chairman Ehud Barak "once again failed to take responsibility," a reference to the Defense Minister's broken promise to resign upon publication of the Winograd Report in January, 2008.

They are quite right, I'll say. Barak is no leader. Update: Netanyahu, much more of a leader than he'll ever be, has responded in an address to Olmert on how the dam of confidence has been broken.

Update 2: Olmert has announced that he'll run for reelection in the coming primary, much to the embarrassment of the Labor party. Well, I hope some of them are happy with how ridiculous they've made themselves look.

It's said that Shas holds the key to the government's survival. However, that's exactly why now, all eyes should be turned to them as well, because they are going to have to take responsibility.

AVRAHAM HIRSCHSON LINKED TO OLMERT INVESTIGATION

Well, I'd say it figures:

(IsraelNN.com) Former Finance Minister Avraham Hirschson has been added to the growing list of those who may be involved in campaign finance irregularities and other forms of corruption in the widening investigation against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

As part of the criminal investigation of Hirschson, Israel Police revealed Tuesday they are examining possible links between him and the Prime Minister's former bureau chief, Shula Zaken.

The police are currently investigating allegations that NIS 100,000 was passed between Zaken and Hirschson to fund the former Finance Minister's election war chest in March 2004. At that time, there were no general or internal party primary elections, and the sum wasn't reported to the relevant authorities. Nor was it recorded in party financial ledgers, according to Israel Police sources.

Hirschson was forced to resign his post in July 2007 after being indicted on charges of embezzling millions of shekels from a non-governmental organization (NGO) during his tenure as head of the Histadrut National Labor Union.

This doesn't surprise me any longer. It could easily explain why Olmert appointed Hirschson a finance minister in the first place.

OLMERT'S INVESTIGATION MAY HELP PREVENT FUTURE POLITICIANS FROM DOING AS HE DID

Isi Leibler in the Jerusalem Post talks about Ehud Olmert's investigation, and says that:

It could be weeks, or even months. But Ehud Olmert's political fate is sealed. Even if the nauseating revelations in Morris Talansky's testimony fail to result in a formal indictment, Olmert has passed the point of no return in the court of public opinion, which has determined that he must go.

The displays of excessive venality and abuse of power were the final straw. Furious Israelis will not forgive the prime minister for accepting "gifts" of cash in envelopes, without receipts, in an obvious attempt to conceal how the money was spent. There is also an enormous upsurge of rage concerning his use of funds for personal gratification.

And another bit of good news from this is that it may prevent similar acts of corruption from being committed in the future.

Here's another article about the police fraud unit's investigation into cash withdrawals Olmert made in this case.

TALANSKY'S TESTIMONY AND THE AFTERMATH

Morris Talansky, the leading witness in the case against Olmert, has now given his testimony. And yes, it's triggered quite a bit of reaction from all sides of the political arena. And Ehud Barak has told him to either suspend himself or he'll leave the government.

Well, Barak is certainly going to have to make good on what he tells, considering that Ephraim Sneh has left the party, and I'm sure he doesn't want anyone else following him to the exit. That's probably why he had to say what he has.