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Last update - 04:41 31/07/2008
ANALYSIS / Crushed and battered, Olmert finally broke
By Yossi Verter, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Israel, Kadima, Ehud Barak 

This was a speech - respectful, restrained - that Ehud Olmert should have delivered long ago. Right after the Second Lebanon War, some will say. Right after Talansky's testimony, others will say, or after the Olmertours scandal broke.

If he had stepped down at the war's end in August 2006, he would have saved us and himself much suffering, shame and investigation. By now, he might already have been in the midst of a political comeback.

But the Olmert who spoke on Wednesday from the garden of his compound in Jerusalem was a crushed and battered man, tainted by allegations, lacking public trust or a sympathetic ear.
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Thus his destiny was determined.

But make no mistake: He is still with us, at least until November, and if a government is not assembled this fall under another Kadima leader, he may even be with us until next February or March.

The achievements he noted in the speech - economic, military and social - are indeed commendable. If it weren't for the war in Lebanon and the investigations against him, he could have been remembered as one of Israel's better and more effective prime ministers.

Today, such a description sounds strange - an Olmert without the Lebanon war and the investigations hardly seems like Olmert. To his great sadness, it is those things we will remember about him - regrettable new expressions like "money envelopes" and "Rishon Tours" will remain with us long after he is not.

Perhaps only deep into the next prime minister's term will we enjoy relative peace and quiet, a stable economy, low unemployment, support abroad and a steady flow of visiting foreign leaders.

Two weeks ago, when the bodies of captured soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser were returned from Lebanon, much was written about the war finally coming to an end.

That is not exactly true. The war's tombstone was only finished on Wednesday, when the last and most senior functionary responsible for its failure finally announced he would take a seat.

Indeed it was the war, in large part, that sealed Olmert's destiny - the subsequent corruption charges only accelerated his demise.

With all the attendant drama, Olmert's announcement on Wednesday was predictable. No one expected him to run in the Kadima primaries again, and he would have resigned anyway if his replacement had set up a new government.

In hindsight, the announcement on Wednesday was the handiwork of Ehud Barak - who as Labor leader forced primaries on Kadima - and no one is more ready than Olmert to remind us of that.

In talks with Labor ministers in recent weeks, Olmert spoke in no uncertain terms of his feelings toward Barak. He would like nothing better than to exact revenge, but he does not know how. He simply has too many potential targets: Barak, Livni, Public Security Minister Avi Dichter.

Theoretically, the prime minister is expected to be indicted while still in office, a scenario from which we have been spared until now. This prospect doubtless passed through his mind last night, but he managed to keep up appearances.

The only moment his voice shook was when describing the suffering of his family, which has been publicly dragged through the muck along with him. Maybe that was what finally broke him.

Related articles:
  • Olmert: I'll quit as PM when Kadima picks new leader
  • Opposition lawmaker: Kadima has reached the end of its road
  • Spat between Olmert and Barak keeps ratcheting up
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      1.   olmert 01:45  |  me 31/07/08
      2.   Crushed and battered, Olmert 02:10  |  Rolland 31/07/08
      3.   Good Health is better the self-destruction 02:18  |  Brod 31/07/08
      4.   # 1 02:24  |  Patrick Warner 31/07/08
      5.   #1and #4 02:55  |  mike 31/07/08
      6.   he lost all moral authority after amona 03:07  |  david 31/07/08
      7.   olmert 03:32  |  D 31/07/08
      8.   Olmert was a lousy leader 03:33  |  Robert 31/07/08
      9.   Israel`s successes not because of, but *despite* Olmert 03:40  |  Raymond in DC 31/07/08
      10.   Olmert 04:36  |  Brandeis 31/07/08
      11.   BROKE 04:43  |  and disgusted 31/07/08
      12.   Joke "one of Israel`s better and more effective prime ministers" 05:15  |  Genuine Tosefta 31/07/08
      13.   Many failures in addition to Lebanon, 05:35  |  judith 31/07/08
      14.   How Jerusalem Post sober analysis summarizes Olmert "achievements 06:12  |  Genuine Tosefta 31/07/08
      15.   Don`t feel Sorry Olmert Squandered His Legacy 06:39  |  Shepherd 31/07/08
      16.   Wonder What Olmert Was PaidTo Offer The Golan To Syria 06:43  |  Dish It Out 31/07/08
      17.   Mothers... 07:13  |  Yosemite 31/07/08
      18.   I Used To Be Broke 07:28  |  Yosemite 31/07/08
      19.   "economic, military and social - are indeed commendable" ? 08:30  |  redmike 31/07/08
      20.   #5 - and writing in jail will mean no personal expenses! 08:36  |  redmike 31/07/08
      21.   THIS MAN DID A LOT 09:30  |  Robert 31/07/08
      22.   To Raymond in DC # 9 - Olmert`s Successes 09:41  |  Natasha 31/07/08
      23.   Totally ridiculous sentence 09:44  |  Clickfool 31/07/08
      24.   Livni would have been a shoe-in for the job of PM 09:58  |  Clickfool 31/07/08
      25.   Olmert`s responsability... 10:13  |  David Nigel Braham 31/07/08
      26.   sympathy 10:36  |  Barry Geltman 31/07/08
      27.   ONLY HAARETZ WILL MISS HIM 10:37  |  Freethinker 31/07/08
      28.   WELCOME BACK TO THE GENERALS 10:53  |  indrajaya 31/07/08
      29.   You`re joking, Freethinker # 27 11:13  |  Clickfool 31/07/08
      30.   You`ve got it wrong, Click #24... 11:18  |  Esther 31/07/08
      31.   To Rolland # 2 - `Crushed and battered` NOT HALF! 11:22  |  Dagma 31/07/08
      32.   I dunno... 11:29  |  Esther 31/07/08
      33.   Olmert RESIGNS! before he might be Indicted 11:37  |  Dolly 31/07/08
      34.   If it weren`t for...Dayeinu! 11:41  |  Tzfonit 31/07/08
      35.   Dayainu 12:04  |  Harvey 31/07/08
      36.   He Hasn`t Hit Rockbottom Yet Believe Me 12:26  |  Yosemite 31/07/08
      37.   "Crushed and battered" like a FOX! 12:59  |  Yaakov K. 31/07/08
      38.   Exactly, Yaakov K. from Yerushalayim. 15:45  |  sandra chitayat 31/07/08
      39.   GOD`S REVENGE FOR DISENGAGEMENT:KAZAV,HALUTZ,SHARON,OLMERT....... 16:12  |  GUSH QATIF MUSEUM 31/07/08
      40.   Get the Crooked, political prostitute out now, B4 more damage 17:31  |  Simon 31/07/08
      41.   He lost the war, 150 soldiers, but not the envelopes and content 17:33  |  Simon 31/07/08
      42.   Israel feel not sorry for the corrupt, feel sorry 4 D Victims 17:50  |  Simon 31/07/08
      43.   PERES: time to "Bring out the Gimp" 17:52  |  Bl4ckP0pe 31/07/08
      44.   Barak if you have any spine left, get this man out :Now 18:08  |  Simon 31/07/08
      45.   O SO SAD HE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO KEEP USING ISRAELIS HARD EARNED 18:08  |  glenna 31/07/08
      46.   indrajaya # 28 "Ready for next wars?",,actually indy,if israel 18:16  |  terrornator 31/07/08
      47.   THINK about it: Israel is led by a CON Artist 18:37  |  Simon 31/07/08
      48.   No sympathy 19:14  |  Michael N 31/07/08
      49.   inderajaya 19:50  |  mike 31/07/08
      50.   #1 DONNATED LAND MUST BE RETRACTED 21:03  |  me too 31/07/08
      51.   Resigned, because of Iran-US mess 22:50  |  Iranian-American 31/07/08
      52.   Anger should have gone at Bush 23:58  |  Lisa 31/07/08
      53.   Anger should have gone towards George Bush 00:06  |  Lisa 01/08/08
      54.   Israel is crushed and battered by Olmert and the coalition. 02:52  |  Chaim 01/08/08
      55.   Beaten Busted Clobbered Annialated Vaporized Punked Screwed... 03:22  |  Yosemite 01/08/08
      56.   Lisa from Monterey 05:15  |  Mark Lincoln 01/08/08
      57.   COORRUPT 05:55  |  SOLOMAN 01/08/08
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