PM Olmert
Photo: AP
Apology in order?
Olmert investigation, billed as worst in nation’s history, ends with a whimper
Someone will have to be called to task on this matter; to explain to the public, once and for all, how an affair billed as “the most severe affair in the state’s history,” no less, is about to end with prosecutors closing the case against Olmert.
What hasn’t been said about the Bank Leumi affair and its implications in the past year? How is it that dignified figures such as the accountant general, state comptroller and even attorney general are able to draw a whole country into such a witch-hunt against the prime minister? How is it that despite all the experience, knowledge, and sense of judgment they are supposed to possess, they were unable to identify a case that will end up being closed for lack of evidence?
Who were they scared off when they decided, despite all, to hand this case over to the police, accompanied by bombastic statements? Do they fear the State Prosecutor’s Office? The public? The media?
The truth is that this whole trend looks bad: the affairs that are being uncovered one after another, only to be followed by cases being closed one after another. Think of the time, energy, and money that these investigations cost the State, not to mention the paralysis they cause in the Prime Minister’s Office. It is amazing to see how someone like Accountant General Yaron Zelicha, who smeared the prime minister and turned his days into hell, continues to walk around as if he is the country’s air freshener.
For Olmert, this was no doubt one of the best weeks of his term in office, and it’s not like he’s had many of those. Even if there are disagreements over whether the Annapolis Conference was a success or a failure, it only did good things for the prime minister.
Olmert’s approval rating rising
After long months of being closed up in his office, while preoccupying himself with commissions of inquiry and police investigations on top of his job, this week Olmert made an appearance as a peace-loving leader, the kind 40 world leaders rush to meet. His return to Israel is marked by a stable government and a coalition that has a very slim chance of collapsing in the coming year.Polls undertaken in the wake of the Annapolis Conference attest to a consistent rise in his approval rating. On top of that, a heavy cloud hanging over his head dissipated after the police decided to close the Bank Leumi case. This decision guarantees clear skies for Olmert for a long time to come.
What the prime minister can expect in the near future is the final Winograd report. However, it is doubtful whether this report would be enough to topple him. The other investigations over the prime minister’s conduct will take a long time.
In two weeks, negotiations with the Palestinians will get underway. During this period, Olmert’s coalition will be robust: Nobody will be joining and nobody will be leaving. The Labor party would not be able to quit a government engaged in peace talks. And what about Lieberman and Shas? They will have no reason to quit because nothing will happen on the ground. So who said Olmert has no luck. Or brains.
