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Out to lynch By Yoel Marcus Tags: Israel, Ehud Olmert Ehud Olmert is the kind of guy who deserves a whack. He annoys people with his arrogance, with his love of the finer things in life, with the sheer luck that catapulted him into the prime minister's seat. He is a politician who gets into predicaments that a national leader would never find himself in. Olmert is a poster boy for the difference between smart and wise. A smart man knows how to get out of messes that a wise man would never get into. The Second Lebanon War is a classic example: Look how he escaped by the skin of his teeth from a situation he never should have gotten into. All our prime ministers over the past 12 years have been investigated by the police: Benjamin Netanyahu in the Bar-On/Hebron affair, Ehud Barak in the nonprofit organizations scandal, Ariel Sharon in the Cyril Kern and Greek island snafu. There is a basic flaw in the financing of parties and politics. Omri Sharon is sitting in jail instead of his father, who supposedly heard nothing and saw nothing, and had no clue how money was being raised so he could win the Likud primaries. Advertisement But this investigation now going on against Olmert is something we haven't seen before. Somebody called it "Buzaglo in reverse." His name is being dragged through the mud with the doors wide open, after an initial gag order and early testimony from Morris Talansky due to fears that his life was "in danger." You'd think Olmert were the Godfather of the Cosa Nostra. If Talansky has anything to be afraid of now it's the U.S. tax authorities, who are liable to call him in on charges of money laundering. The gag order, followed by the news hitting the front pages, has been neatly timed: Just as presidents and world leaders are arriving to honor Israel on its 60th birthday, their host has been tarred and feathered in the town square. The suspicions against Olmert are more or less the same offenses that have posed a problem for other Israeli politicians and prime ministers - party financing and exceeding legal limits in fund-raising for the primaries. A loophole in the campaign law allowed donations from non-Israeli corporations to slip through. In any case, there is no ceiling on contributions in a non-election year. Arcadi Gaydamak, for instance, can spend $50 million on his political agendas, and no one can touch a hair on his head. Of course, there is a big difference between election financing and accepting bribes or using the money for personal needs. If we're talking bribery, there has to be solid, concrete evidence. The police, in probing many years back, will have to prove which years are the problematic ones, what offenses were committed, and how serious they are. Without an indictment, the prime minister is not obligated to resign (unless this were Denmark). A person is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and that also applies to prime ministers. If Olmert had claimed the right to silence or refused to cooperate with the police, he would not have been fit to stay on the job another day. But under the circumstances, he has the same rights as any other citizen. If he were guilty of crimes like those that sent Omri Sharon to jail, being prime minister would be out of the question. But as long as no charges have been pressed, as long as no one knows exactly what he is accused of, and he is cooperating with his interrogators, the presumption of innocence stands. Innocent or not, the worrying question is whether Olmert is capable of serving as prime minister under such a heavy weight of suspicion and inquiry. When he gets up in the government and threatens to take strong measures to bring quiet to the South if the shooting in Gaza continues, the question hovering in the air is whether this is the position of the cabinet or verbal theatrics to deflect attention from the police probe. The Israeli public does not like what it is seeing and hearing. Israelis on the whole are not exactly enamored with Olmert. The far right and the settlers would love to get him out of their sight right this minute. Politicians like Olmert are not made out of china, but what kind of government can we have with a prime minister running from one investigation to the next, spending hour after hour talking to the police instead of dealing with matters of state? On the other hand, his resignation, or taking a 100-day leave of absence, could set off shock waves in the political system, which is not ready for elections. Tzipi Livni, Barak or Netanyahu can forget about any great win or achievement in their pocket. Because the matter at hand is so sensitive and has such political import, the law enforcement authorities need to get busy and work around the clock. Let the lights at police headquarters and the attorney general's office burn day and night. And most importantly, it is absolutely critical that this investigation not be bungled like Moshe Katsav's. As long as Olmert cooperates in the investigation and there is no indictment, he should be given the benefit of the doubt. Democratic countries don't oust their prime ministers by lynching them. Bookmark to del.icio.us   A few good celebs Some of Hollywood's top guns congratulate Israel in a clip played in Times Square. Chosen, shmosen 'Religion is an incarnation of the most childish superstitions,' wrote Albert Einstein.   1.   a well-argued, profound column 08:11  |  saul a. readner 13/05/08   2.   Bunch of HYPOCRITS.. 13:53  |  Buzaglow 13/05/08   3.   Olmert, go home. 14:43  |  Nora 13/05/08   4.   Bizarre Article: Vague Democratic Values vs Crimes Against State 15:23  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 13/05/08   5.   Olmert is a repeat offender for investigations 15:34  |  Kkipperraes 13/05/08   6.   No surprises from Yoel Marcus 16:22  |  Jewish State 13/05/08   7.   Democratic Countries? 17:04  |  Joseph Kaufman 13/05/08   8.   Despicable Marcus promoted corrupt Sharon,now spits on him 19:54  |  Absolute Sweden 13/05/08   9.   Demographis Countries do not often have 22:35  |  Naasha 13/05/08

Read & React Ahmadinejad predicts Israel will be 'swept away' by Palestinians Responses: 133 Woman, 70, killed as Qassam strikes Negev home Responses: 314 Lebanese army says will use force from Tues. to stop fighting Responses: 86 Israel mulls moving Gaza crossings east to dodge rockets Responses: 223 Bush to Haaretz: PM is 'honest guy' and strategic thinker Responses: 90 More Headlines 02:40 Police quiz U.S. tycoon Sheldon Adelson as part of Olmert probe 00:13 Olmert: Understandings reached in talks with PA 02:41 Dennis Ross, Daniel Kurtzer slam Bush's Mideast policy 01:47 Video shows officer shooting protester with rubber bullet at close range 02:52 Tom Cruise, Ben Stiller wish Israel happy anniversary 22:27 Polish Pres.: Israeli youth should learn Poland not to blame for the Holocaust 19:43 Oscar winner Voight to Qassam victims: 'You're on the front line' 20:30 Fayyad: Israel shouldn't celebrate independence until peace deal signed 22:56 Israel mulls moving Gaza Strip crossings east to dodge rockets 03:00 Welfare Min. launches plan for savings accounts for every Israeli kid 17:40 Tony Blair: Israel agrees to ease West Bank restrictions 19:02 Einstein: Nothing 'chosen' about the Jews, Bible 'childish' legends Previous Editions Select Day 13 may 12 may 11 may 09 may 08 may 07 may 06 may 05 may 04 may 02 may 01 may 30 apr

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