Loyalty in politics

A prime minister must view his colleagues as potential competitors, and keep them in line. The country as a whole faces tough antagonists on the international front, who are looking after their own interests. There are also intense enemies intent on doing great harm to Israel.

The imminent scandal

There is a great scandal brewing here, but at least some of the implications are not as frightening as they seem.
 
The scandal concerns police investigations and potential criminal charges against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for deception, dereliction of duty, violation of trust, money laundering, tax evasion, and perhaps bribery. We are some way from a formal indictment, but serious reports, as well as leaks and speculation suggest that this is the most serious investigation of the five or six that have been waged against him in recent years. Political rivals within and outside his party are circling like vultures who scent rotting meat, and positioning themselves to do battle both with the prime minister and with one another.

Olmert in trouble, again

We have been roiled  for more than a week in diminishing silence. There has been an intense investigation of the prime minister and those close to him, but the police and the court imposed a news blackout on all details. Some bits came out in foreign media available via the internet, but the police insisted on their posture until the end of Independence Day 60th anniversary celebrations.
 
Now we are told that an American fundraiser passed large sums, some of it in cash, to Ehud Olmert over the course of several years. The prime minister went public as soon as he could (the blackout also applied to him), and explained that the money was for campaigning expenses, and that he relied on his attorney to assure that it was all legal.

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Window on Israel Hebrew University Political Science professor evaluates the latest happenings in Israel.

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Recent Comments

Abraham, Toronto: Nothing, but contempt and hatred for Olmert and his felonious freinds in the Gov't. Israel needs a major overhaul, and A REAL CONSTITUTION. IT ALSO NEEDS TO STAND UP FOR ITSEKF AND NOT TAKE TOO MUCH P.C CRAP FROM ANYBODY. NO TO A TERRORIST PALI STATE
observer, Israel: Mostly,secular Jews don't realize that many non-Jews not only Arabs see the holyland as their own and not the Jews' holyland.
Amos K. USA: Praying to G-d is fine, but planes, tanks, soldiers and those Hiroshima boombas are better! Israel be alert...These jihadis are out to destroy you! I am not telling you something new...but we are Jews and we still believe in miracles, especaly that people will "love" us. It aint gonna happen! 4000 years of Pogroms (right up til today) still exists. Again I say Israel be alert...24/7. Munich in 1972 should have told us all about radical Islam. It's Credo of horror is ..."kill everybody...Allah will sort it out later on!"