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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. (Daniel Baron)
ANALYSIS / The latest allegations, what now?
By Yossi Verter
Tags: corruption probe, israel 

If a few weeks ago we thought that a public figure, an Israeli leader, could not get any more entangled in something lower, more shameful or more embarrassing than the Talansky affair and the envelopes, we were wrong. If the version of the police and the State Prosecutor's Office is correct, his relationship to the elderly fixer with the deep pockets will seem like mischief compared with the alleged affair nicknamed "Olmert Tours."

The new investigation, Olmert's sixth, which blew up Friday about 24 hours before he left for Paris for an important international conference, touches on everything Israel holds dear: the memory of the Holocaust and its survivors, blind students, mentally disabled children, and soldiers.

According to the allegations, Olmert got his hands on the funds of these organizations, for which he raised quite a bit of money over the years, to fly his family around the world. If these allegations are true, Olmert will be spared no word of condemnation in the Israeli lexicon, and rightly so. No other politician will be forced out of office in such shame, to disappear forever from public life.
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It is difficult to imagine that law-enforcement authorities would dare level such weighty accusations at an Israeli prime minister if they did not have solid proof. The versions of the investigators and Olmert's attorneys is contradictory: The investigators speak of some $100,000 taken fraudulently; the attorneys speak of much smaller sums, of irregularities and negligence.

The message of Olmert's associates Saturday was clear: The police are aiming to unseat the prime minister. They even used the word "putsch."

However we look at it, woe to us: Either we have been blessed with a prime minister who stops at nothing to line his pockets, or we have a police force and prosecution that has taken out a contract on our senior elected official.

Even before Rishon Tours entered our lives, we could hardly understand how Olmert could continue his public life with the waves of investigations. From Friday, it is inconceivable. This time, he is also dragging his family through the muck.

Last night, in a briefing for legal reporters by those "close to the investigation," his wife Aliza, his son Ariel and his daughter Dana were mentioned specifically.

Olmert's skin is reportedly as thick as an elephant's. But how much more can he take?

People who spoke with Olmert over the weekend said he seemed emotionally drained and beaten. He continues to hang his hopes on the Talansky cross-examination. If the five days of questioning refute a good many of Talansky's statements, it might put the the double-billing affair in a less severe light. If not, Olmert might choose to draw conclusions in some way.

Meanwhile, there is nothing new in the political system. MKs Gideon Sa'ar (Likud), Shelly Yachimovich (Labor) and Zevulun Orlev (National Union-National Religious Party) condemned Olmert. Opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu was not heard from. He has been burned quite a bit regarding trips abroad. Labor is waiting quietly. In any case, Olmert is being deposed by his party. "Might you issue a new ultimatum?" an associate of Labor Party chairman Ehud Barak was asked Saturday. No need, he answered. You don't kick a dead body.

Related articles:
  • Bringing shame upon the state
  • Olmert, Zaken, and Rishon Tours: A case of deja vu
  • NRP Chairman: In a civilized country, Olmert would have resigned long ago
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      1.   Both are true 05:05  |  Ilan 13/07/08
      2.   Who persecutes whom? 05:58  |  Otto Rand 13/07/08
      3.   Latest allegations. 05:58  |  sandra chitayat 13/07/08
      4.   Is Olmert a criminal or not? 07:08  |  redmike 13/07/08
      5.   #1 - your idea of how the police percieve their functon is weird! 07:15  |  redmike 13/07/08
      6.   No real way to check 07:18  |  yosef 13/07/08
      7.   In cases like this we will never know 07:45  |  Doreen 13/07/08
      8.   shame, disgust 08:12  |  michael cohen 13/07/08
      9.   Poor journalism: poor international image 08:13  |  Ulf 13/07/08
      10.   Whose line is this? 08:22  |  Lev 13/07/08
      11.   #3, I think Talansky explicitly said he wanted to get 08:24  |  Pervert 13/07/08
      12.   #4 - why do you say "the police are dirty"? 08:31  |  redmike 13/07/08
      13.   Who cares ? 08:58  |  Yaela Katz 13/07/08
      14.   To # 3 and # 4 - Sandra and Doreen 09:04  |  Dagma 13/07/08
      15.   It`s no use trying to redeem an Authentic Fraud 09:13  |  Dolly 13/07/08
      16.   It is feared thar Israel will have Olmert at the helm 09:16  |  Natasha 13/07/08
      17.   latest 09:17  |  peter 13/07/08
      18.   The Police have been Guilty of giving Olmert PRIVILEGES 09:26  |  netta 13/07/08
      19.   Israeli "Establishment" Caught With Its pants Down 09:27  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 13/07/08
      20.   #2, Otto Rand 09:43  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/07/08
      21.   Talansky is only $150,000 of $500,000 in Zaken`s Records 09:49  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 13/07/08
      22.   the strangest thing is that if olmerde were innocent he would hav 10:47  |  victor hardman 13/07/08
      23.   Dagma # 14 - It was the `JERUSALEM NationalCharity Fund 10:58  |  The Threadmill 13/07/08
      24.   Dirty Israeli politics, dirty Israeli journalism 11:17  |  Joe Sittizen 13/07/08
      25.   Olmert & Co 12:06  |  Ralph 13/07/08
      26.   why doesn`t Olmert 14:52  |  joki 13/07/08
      27.   YOU OWE YOUR READERS 15:13  |  Jay A Friedman 13/07/08
      28.   THE NEW JERUSALEM FOUNDATION ... 15:45  |  Dagma 13/07/08
      29.   Cipora Juliana, you are a dreamer 15:48  |  Philip 13/07/08
      30.   Olmert today Emotionally drained and beaten 15:50  |  The Truthful One 13/07/08
      31.   anyway too many Olmerts in Israel just a bunch of useless loosers 15:54  |  moshe 13/07/08
      32.   Actually it was THE NEW JERUSALEM FOUNDATION 15:58  |  Dagma 13/07/08
      33.   CJK 20 wasn`t Olmert elected after replacing Sharon? 16:07  |  Realist 13/07/08
      34.   allegations 16:07  |  azad 13/07/08
      35.   Shame on SHAS - Shame on Labor 16:35  |  Sol 13/07/08
      36.   27, Jay Friedman, The extent of Olmerts guilt 16:50  |  Haham me Bat Yam 13/07/08
      37.   To Peter # 17 - The New Jerusalem Foundation.... 16:50  |  Dagma 13/07/08
      38.   To Peter # 17 - The New Jerusalem Foundation.... 16:50  |  Dagma 13/07/08
      39.   # 24 Joe Sittizen; Constitution want prevent 17:25  |  Max Horoskopski 13/07/08
      40.   Olm,ert WAS NOT ELECTED by the people.... 17:28  |  Natasha 13/07/08
      41.   The Threadmill # 23 - Wrong! The New Jerusalem Foundation 17:42  |  Dagma 13/07/08
      42.   Bravo Joe 24 17:46  |  Simon 13/07/08
      43.   @Joe Sittizen 18:34  |  Ralph 13/07/08
      44.   how much farther can Israel fall? 18:37  |  Mark 13/07/08
      45.   Ovadiah is 100 percent correct 18:43  |  Dror 13/07/08
      46.   Olmert 18:50  |  Ralph 13/07/08
      47.   Cipora #20 Excellent post! 19:06  |  S 13/07/08
      48.   Big Deal? 19:34  |  Meir Weinstein 13/07/08
      49.   A man who can stand all this uproar 20:44  |  henri 13/07/08
      50.   Olmert `emotionally drained and beaten` 21:29  |  Dagma 13/07/08
      51.   #29, Philip 21:49  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/07/08
      52.   #49 henri 22:31  |  joki 13/07/08
      53.   To Natasha 23:23  |  Otto Rand 13/07/08
      54.   Hi Cipora 23:34  |  Otto Rand 13/07/08
      55.   Cipora #51 23:45  |  Otto Rand 13/07/08
      56.   Rabin resigned for much, much less 00:10  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 14/07/08
      57.   The legal aspect of Olmert problem is not the most 07:21  |  Akram Zekaria 14/07/08
      58.   I wonder if one is still porund to call himself an Israeli ! 08:35  |  Akram Zekaria 14/07/08
      59.   Otto Rand 09:22  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 14/07/08
      60.   #47, S 09:53  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 14/07/08
      61.   Akram Zekaria 09:54  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 14/07/08
      62.   57# Cipora Isn`t that we are all wrong ? 11:29  |  Akram Zekaria 14/07/08
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