Kadime seem very eager to have Olmert return to the fold and be their next leader without actually realising that Olmert was the most unpopular PM in recent history and last time he won was on a Sharon sympathy vote not on his merits. If Olmert decides to form his own party then he may win a few seats mostly as a result of disenfranchised Kadima voters but any ambitions of being PM again if he forms his own party are zero. Yair Lapid is not stupid enough to join forces in a party with Olmert and neither have anything to gain from it anyway.] Lapid is the man that his supporters worship despite the fact he has no politics and without him at the helm his party would collapse. Olmert wants to be PM not play second fiddle to Lapid which is all he could ever hope for. His best option is join Kadima after the ditch Mofaz because the party will go into meltdown after the election.

Olmert did not have the capacity as PM his first bungle was putting Peretz into Defense. Nuggety as he was his e been place was socioeconomic and Barak ought have been inducted as defense minister.Really an election ought to have been called when Sharon fell into a coma and Olmert returned to party hack status .As for Deri some accusations are horrific.The wily Netanyahu despite his ultra arrogance and rudeness public ally is excellent backed by the clever Barak and Ruthless Liberman and the man who commands exceptional respect Benny Begin

smugglers. look how they saved over a thousand jews during the holocaust. note their talents and daring. similarly oscar schindler, who evaded taxes. there are criminals and criminals judge. and the british criminal system which is quoted also believes in redemption rather than retribution, as he well knows. george bush was arrested three times as a youngster. didn't he do well! as was menachem begin arrested, who latter escaped jail. perhaps the judge should rephrase.

Is the natural habitat for Israeli crooks. Just look at the recent history and even the lopsided contribution of certain sectors of our society to this phenomena.

Change the system, i think voting from local communities and having a fixed income for politicians will improve the system . Blacklist candidates who are influenced by foreign governments.

Abslutely. No second chance here. it should be obvious that convicted criminals should not hold any public office. point!

WHY do you title him Crook ?! - sentenced is the exactly word!, and as a judge u should know !, and you should know, there are big differences between...!

If one is applying for a job, they can find employers turning them away after they poke, prod, test and judge harshly applicants. The protection machine only works on the oppressed. If you have been a criminal, no job. Even if you crossed an elite person part of families with names, you can find you will be working hard labor the rest of your life and your career is out the window. But why in politics does it move contrary to the stream? Because Torah says it will. The vile have their day when Torah is manipulated and lost from the eyes of Israel. Hide it away in boxes? First person or second? So design those lists well you elite fools. Accuse the innocent and let the ball roll back over you as the leaders sell off your future, rape, abuse, steal and lead your sons and daughters into needless wars for profit. The elite will also be stolen from by these. It makes sense that the leaders are now known criminals. Will we fix it? Not likely.