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1. Ehud Olmert embarked yesterday on the battle of his life against serious charges which present him as a thief, a liar and a serial grafter. The dry language of the Jerusalem District prosecution, drowned in details, tells a fascinating story of the complex connections of a senior Israeli politician who traveled abroad a great deal with businessmen, Jewish organizations and corporations.Beyond the serious charges of "bribery under aggravated circumstances," we are offered here the tangled logistics of the Olmert bureau and details of his travel abroad. It is mandatory reading for anyone interested in public administration.All of Olmert's past challenges, in politics and in court, are diminished by the indictment that was brought against him with regards to Rishon Tours, the cash envelopes, and the Investment Center affairs.H Advertisementow can these compare to the Likud receipts affair of 20 yeas ago, for which he was exonerated? How can this compare to the Winograd Report on the Second Lebanon War, which he survived and remained in power?
(IsraelNN.com)Politicians from both Kadima and the National Union parties washed their hands of the first indictments ever to be filed against a Prime Minister despite the charges reflecting grave problems from within the governmental system.“The courts will decide,” said Knesset Member Yoel Hasson from the Kadima party that Olmert headed as Prime Minister for three years before his problems forced him to step down last year. “On this difficult day, we must not forget Olmert’s rich contributions. He was responsible for, among other things, historic steps in security that will take several years before they are known”Tzipi Livni, who replaced Olmert as party chairperson, also distanced herself from the indictments. Her office said the “always has been very particular to separate politics from law enforcement on personal matters." National Union MK Aryeh Eldad, a member of the Knesset Ethics Committee and a leading critic of government corruption, stated, “The matter of Olmert, as a citizen who was indicted for grave charges of corruption, will be heard in the court and is not a day-to-day issue for the political system since he no longer serves as Prime Minister.”