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Thursday, June 29, 2017

Olmert, Served Enough or Long Way to Go?

Ehud Olmert is/was among Israel's most charming politicians. Not only did Olmert do all the usual public acts that an intelligent and ambitious politician does, but he'd find time to visit people in the hospital and not with a camera crew in tow. He'd also speak with sincere interest to much lower-ranking workers remembering what they had said previously. When the laws changed and he had to choose between being an MK or Mayor of Jerusalem, he chose Jerusalem. And then he had personal letters sent to every single worker in the Knesset, including the cleaning crew.

That's a reason why his corruption charges and guilty verdict was so tragic. Olmert had the capability to be one of Israel's greatest leaders, but then it was discovered that the other side of him, not only the extreme Leftist ideology which surprised/shocked/horrified many, but the fact that apparently he's one of the most corrupt politicians in the History of the State of Israel.

I'm not the only one to consider his "punishment" much too short. What's twenty-seven 27 months when those awful projects he approved will last for decades if not longer? And then he davka got early release which reduces his prison time to only sixteen 16 months.

In prison, Olmert was in a "luxury wing" with other high-ranking white collar prisoners. Considering his charm, he should have been in isolation. That would have been a real punishment for Ehud Olmert!

So, now the Israeli media is discussing whether he's paid his debt to society, as the saying goes, or not. I don't think he did, since he hasn't admitted guilt nor shown suitable remorse at all. Isn't that why they're keeping Katzav in jail?

Jerusalem Post-Ehud Olmert

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

He should have been released on condition that he may never run for public office again.

Batya said...

Why? He is a wheeler dealer. Much more dangerous than Katzav. Deri should never have been allowed back in power.

Shiloh said...

Katzav is in jail because he told the Vatican to stick it when they wanted the medieval kever of David (but most think its real). In other words, he was taken down for standing up for Israel, so he was taken down with the usual national sporting event. Olmert is simply one who got caught at what they are mostly doing. For sure Deri should never been allowed back in, but since they are mostly all corrupted, does it really matter now?

Shtrudel said...

Actually, post the Deri affair the Knesset enacted a law according to which somebody who's been convicted of certain crimes (including corruption) can NOT be elected to any official post for 7 years... In the case of Deri that law came too late... In the case of Olmert it means he's effectively banned for life from official public life...

I have no problem with that situation... As for Olmert's early release - it stinks to high heaven!...

Mr. Cohen said...

Olmert was the man who got a famous Rabbi from Brooklyn expelled from Knesset.

That famous Rabbi from Brooklyn could have saved Israel from Leftist policies.

Batya said...

so according to you guys, Katzav is the hero, so he's in jail, and the others will be free. Hmmm something stinks.

Shiloh said...

Who said Katzav is a hero, you added something that was not said, that is what stinks here. He took the bait and was taken down for standing up to the Vatican. He paid for his choice.

As far as the famous rabbi, true he was correct in many stances but to say that he could have stopped the leftist policy is stretching things a bit. In my opinion, if he was not a rabbinate in practice, he had the potential to do many great things. So God used Olmert to get him out in order to not push rabbinical Judaism taking us further down the rabbit hole.

Batya said...

Katzav helped keep the church out, which makes him a hero. Deri and Olmert are corrupt crooks.