Subscribe to Print Edition | Wed., July 02, 2008 Sivan 29, 5768 | | Israel Time: 20:21 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Peres Conference Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Talansky's contribution By Haaretz Editorial Tags: morris talansky, ehud olmert  Ehud Barak did not flee, and apparently he has managed to put in motion the inevitable process of replacing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, by pushing to have a date set when primary elections will be held within Olmert's party, Kadima. There is no telling what will happen after Olmert leaves: whether a stable government will be established, and whether the candidate elected by Kadima will be able to form the same coalition and run the country. Ultimately, however, a solution has been reached, one that does not involve a compromise on what really matters. Labor and Kadima have agreed that the prime minister, who is suspected of serious bribery offenses, will be replaced within three months. This may be the beginning of a new era in Israel's attitude toward corruption among public officials. The politicians who considered the investigation against Olmert a mere trifle were silenced, and the voices of those who believed he could no longer lead the country grew louder. Advertisement It seems, or at least there is room to hope, that there is now a far less lenient view of politicians who accept improper benefits, gifts, preferential treatment or upgraded hotel rooms, or who make personal use of money offered by the world's richest people, who are willing to pay in order to rub shoulders with those in power. Perhaps this week new norms have been set, without relying solely on the law's requirements or on the opinions of the attorney-general. Before the relevant charges were spelled out in an indictment, and even before it has been determined that bribery indeed took place, the two ruling parties dissociated themselves from the prime minister and his lifestyle, as described in the testimony of Morris Talansky. What was said in that testimony was enough to make Olmert agree to a shortened term, and all requests to draw matters out until the cross-examination or the end of the investigation have been rejected. The political system chose to operate in the normative arena, without waiting for decisions to be made in the legal one. For years there have been claims that Israeli law-enforcement officials persecute politicians, paralyze the political system and undermine the stability of the governing bodies. This nonsense was heard so often that the Knesset was almost tempted to pass a law granting prime ministers immunity from investigation for the duration of their term in office. Professor Daniel Friedmann was given the job of justice minister so that he would impose a new order and discourage investigators, prosecutors and judges. The Olmert case has proved that when the political system functions as it should, the stability of rule is not necessarily damaged, even when the stables must be cleaned out. Olmert did not invent the corruption, but it is his misfortune to be prime minister just when it was decided to stop treating such phenomena as a decree of fate. The law has always been clear and sharp on the matter, but the atmosphere was more forgiving toward the hedonism of the powerful. The public came to believe that all politicians were corrupt to some degree, until it seemed that replacing one prime minister with another was of no consequence, since the latter would presumably also be caught doing wrong. If Talansky's testimony caused a collective sense of shame, and if in its wake Olmert's leadership became untenable - then, perhaps, this indicates a change in direction. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Death penalty Iran hands down death sentence to man who spied for Israel. Robot hospital The place where IDF treats droids wounded in the line of fire.   1.   This is God News for a Change and thank you Haaretz 20:15  |  Dagma 02/07/08

Read & React Three dead, dozens hurt in Jerusalem terror attack Responses: 207 UN troops in Lebanon coerced into deleting images of underground cables Responses: 88 Israel's saber-rattling against Iran could backfire Responses: 119 Carlo Strenger: Israel will recover its morality only when W. Bank horrors end Responses: 59 Rosner's Domain / Why do Arabs prefer Hamas over Fatah? Responses: 58 More Headlines 19:06 Three dead, dozens hurt in Jerusalem terror attack 19:27 Hezbollah chief: Prisoner swap to take place within two weeks 18:32 Palestinian terrorism as a natural act 19:55 Barak: Israel must respond immediately to Jerusalem attack 17:04 Jerusalem bus driver: Terrorist looked me in the eye and drove at me 16:58 New laws aim to revoke Israeli Arab terrorists' citizenship 11:38 Will the real Zohan please stand up? 19:09 Palestinian poet: History laughs at both victim and aggressor 19:48 U.S. army chief: Israeli strike on Iran would destabilize Mideast 19:55 Ministers: Dismiss Dichter immediately for slamming Kadima to press during terror attack 16:39 Six Egypt police wounded as Gazans try to storm Rafah border 14:10 Britain tightens ban on Hezbollah to cover military wing 14:40 VIDEO: Police anti-terror unit steps up preparations for hostage scenario 14:40 Report: Israel, Syria to hold direct negotiations after next round of talks Previous Editions Select Day 01 jul 30 jun 29 jun 27 jun 26 jun 25 jun 24 jun 23 jun 22 jun 20 jun 19 jun 18 jun

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