Don’t convict Olmert so fast
Uri Messer handled Morris Talansky donations for Olmert
Israel Uncensored News
Olmert’s long-time friend and fellow attorney Uri Messer reportedly cooperates with the police investigation against the prime minister regarding the American donations. The money in question were not Moshe Talansky’s but collected by him. It is unknown what part of the money Morris Talansky has pocketed. Thus, Talansky received $90,000 kickbacks as a salary in 2004 for collecting donations for Shaarei Tzedek Hospital. He is not donating his own money for the last decade.
Morris Talansky allegedly passed the money either directly to Olmert or to his secretary Shula Zaken. The funds were to be used for Olmert’s mayoral and the Knesset elections. Both Olmert and Shula Zaken passed the funds to Uri Messer to be spent for campaign purposes.
The transaction is technically illegal, but just every political party and figure in Israel collects unaccounted cash from foreign donors for political purposes. Olmert is also accused of appropriating part of the collected funds for himself. Even if true, that’s also a standard practice among Israel establishment and indeed in every country. The Knesset hypocrites who bring in tons of cash from American donors slammed Olmert for accepting money from Talansky.
Outrageously, the Likud MK’s demand ousting Olmert amid the investigation. It’s not even an issue of “innocent until proven guilty,” long forgotten in Israeli trial-by-media. Olmert isn’t even indicted, and the accusations are murky. But Olmert accepted money collected by Morris Talansky specifically for the Likud! Olmert used the money for Likud election campaigns in Jerusalem and the Knesset.
There are no hints whatsoever that Olmert did anything improper in return for the money.
The statute of limitations for campaign financing crimes had passed.
Uri Messer’s cooperation with the police investigation to implicate Olmert is unlikely, as there is just no reason for Messer to do so. The case would entirely hinge on his testimony, and why would he implicate both himself and Olmert? It is much easier for Uri Messer to deny any wrongdoing as did Olmert during a short press conference following lifting the gag order.
Uri Messer is married to Deputy Attorney General Davida Lachman-Messer, hilariously in charge of tax and corporate matters, the very field of Uri Messer’s purportedly illegal activities as an attorney. That makes is easier for Attorney General Mazuz to press Uri Messer to testify against Olmert.
We received a yet unconfirmed report of Uri Messer suffering an odd traffic incident. A sensible insurer won’t make a policy on his life now.
DEBKA REPORTS
US witness allowed to testify at preliminary hearing after he claimed fears for his safety
May 9, 2008, 6:29 PM (GMT+02:00)
The Jerusalem district court Friday, May 9, approved the prosecution’s application to allow the US financier Morris Talansky, 75, from Long Island, to testify in a pre-trial hearing to handing large sums of cash to prime minister Ehud Olmert.
The court decided to open the session to the public. Talansky told the police who questioned him that he is afraid Olmert will “send people after him.”
State prosecutor Moshe Lador told the court it was inconceivable that the prime minister, who is under investigation on suspicion of accepting bribes over a long period, would try to influence the witness or alter his testimony. But because Talansky, who has known Olmert through close ties over a long period, might change his mind, it was advisable to depose him quickly.
Olmert’s attorney, Eli Zohar, complained the preliminary process prejudiced the case against his client because it was too soon for him to familiarize himself with the allegations enough to cross-examine the witness.
By the decision on an open hearing, district justice Mussia Arad has strengthened the effect of public opinion on the political and moral aspects of the case. Olmert’s first reaction after the gag order was partially lifted Thursday night, May 8, was to treat it as a strictly legal issue to be fought in court. He acknowledged receipt of large sums from Morris Talansky but insisted they funded his four election campaigns and not a cent had reached his pocket. He refused to quit office as prime minister unless indicted.
At the Talansky hearing expected next week, the naming of more American contributors who gave Olmert cash during his time as mayor of Jerusalem and minister of trade and industry from 1993 to 2000 will undoubtedly add fuel to the unprecedented scandal surrounding the first such case ever to be brought against an Israeli prime minister.
The issue isn’t whether Ehud Olmert did what the rest of the Israeli political class does. The issue is Olmert’s subordination of the country’s national interests to his own personal political survival. That degree of narcissistic selfishness should not be tolerated in a national leader. At a time when Israel faces threats from the north in Hezbollah and the south from Hamas, Olmert’s remaining in office while the courts untangle his case would be a detriment to the good of the country. Israel needs effective leadership in dealing with its security challenges and a Prime Minister with a legal and ethical Sword Of Damocles hanging over his head cannot provide it. A more decent man than Olmert would have stepped down without waiting for an indictment in order to resolve his personal problems. Doing the right thing is not just a matter of formal legal requirements. Its a sense of a higher duty to God and the country – a sense of duty missing from Olmert’s tenure as Prime Minister of the Jewish State. And Israel deserves a leader who has the nation’s trust to carry that sense of higher duty forward in the months and years ahead.
Olmert may believe that stepping down would be an admission of guilt as viewed by our press and public. That said sitting in PM chair gives him certain privileges and armor against threats of indictments so from his point of view he is best situated in PM chair. If his replacement is Livini as deputy PM for next 3 months we have gained little and even worsened our situation as Livini does not have Olmerts acumen for political maneuvering. One can never be sure that this government will disolve itself for new mandate in elections and instead seek to solidify itself even more with livini. On the assumption that Livini could not do too much damage as caretaker PM ( although her actual powers would be the same as Olmert) after 3 months Kadima would have to have primaries for new leadership and then elections within 3 months after that. This would take us close to Bushes end of term and coincide with Americas elections. So we could assume the Peace process would be on low back burner and have to wait for New American President to start to make and implement policy. That could take anywhere from 6 months to a year to happen. Israel might not be first or second or even third major American priority by then. This investigation could take some months and no indictment if any can be expected till the end of police investigation. In the meantime with this new development Olmert is pretty much handcuffed from making any major political/diplomatic moves, which is where we want him. Bush and condi will have been checked and the final checkmate is when he leaves office with nothing to show.implement
Lets, convict Pres. Bush and our other enemies first.
On second thought Olmert might not be so bad?
Even venerable Yitzhak Shamir, the former leader of LEHI, finally succumbed to the Left’s and foreign pressure and accepted Palestinian autonomy, a first step toward their independence. Menahem Begin, a no less distinguished former leader of ETZEL, was brought down by the Carter’s pressure, and gave away Sinai. No wonder Rabin the empty man was manipulated into the Oslo agreements, Netanyahu the business consultant abandoned the holy city of Hebron to Muslims, and Sharon with the brains of a bulldozer traded Gaza for the safety net against criminal prosecution of his family. Not even to mention Barak, another fake “Mr. Security” who made Hezbollah rather than Haifa secure.
On their background, Olmert stands very well. Starting with his principled opposition to Begin-Sharon’s giveaway of Sinai decades ago to the cat-and-mouse game with Abbas, Olmert gives nothing to the enemy. Everything seems to be agreed upon with Fatah, but Palestinian statehood is not advancing. Those who blame the 2006 Lebanon war on Olmert would do well to advance an alternative. Should we expect Olmert to improve the army during his two months as prime minister? Should he have invaded Lebanon again after the 18-year-long occupation proved strategically futile? Should he have scorched Lebanon with napalm to get rid of all bearded Arabs? Olmert had the courage to strike at Lebanon upon the first provocation.
Olmert, he is very brainy. Everyone wants him to invade Gaza, but what’s the next step? If the IDF kills even a couple of thousand Arab militants and withdraws, many more would volunteer immediately, because the IDF withdrawal would be seen as Hamas victory. If the IDF stays in Gaza, the international law kicks in, and Israel would have to take care of the occupied territory’s population. There are two dead in Sderot, but hundreds of Israeli soldiers might die in the urban combat in Gaza. As the Palestinian guerrillas acquire Grad-types weapons able of hitting Ashkelon, Olmert might have no chance but to order a punitive expedition and pacify Gaza for a year or two, like the IDF pacified Lebanon. There is just no clear-cut solution to guerrilla warfare, short of the measures which would look unacceptably cruel on CNN.
The left are greatly dissatisfied with Olmert and seek to topple him. So far, he had not succumbed to Rice-the-Black-Plague’s pressure or the threats of criminal indictment on fake charges. Conducting an honest, straightforward policy requires otherworldly moral strength; real politics is an art of maneuvering. Olmert is not a political bulldozer, but a master politician. His ways are not straight, but they do not lead to capitulation. This is as good as it gets with Israel’s politicians.
Am Yisrael Hi! Olmert is as or less useful than, pardon the expression,”Tits on a bull!”