Ex-Israeli Premier Olmert sentenced to 8 months in prison

[webfact]

Ex-Israeli Premier Olmert sentenced to 8 months in prison
ARON HELLER, Associated Press

JERUSALEM (AP) — Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was sentenced Monday to eight months in prison for unlawfully accepting money from a U.S. supporter, capping the dramatic downfall of a man who only years earlier led the country and hoped to bring about a historic peace agreement with the Palestinians.

Olmert was convicted in March in a retrial in Jerusalem District Court. The sentencing comes in addition to a six-year prison sentence he received last year in a separate bribery conviction, ensuring the end of the former premier's political career.

Olmert's lawyer, Eyal Rozovsky, said Olmert's legal team was "very disappointed" by the ruling and would appeal to Israel's Supreme Court.

Olmert was forced to resign in early 2009 amid the corruption allegations. His departure cleared the way for hard-liner Benjamin Netanyahu's election, and subsequent peace efforts have not succeeded.

Olmert, 69, was acquitted in 2012 of a series of charges that included accepting cash-stuffed envelopes from U.S. businessman Morris Talansky when Olmert was mayor of Jerusalem and a Cabinet minister. Olmert was found to have received about $600,000 from Talansky during his term as mayor, and additional amounts in cash during his term as a Cabinet minister, but a court did not find evidence the money had been used for unlawful personal reasons or illegal campaign financing.

Talansky, an Orthodox Jew from New York's Long Island, had testified the money was spent on expensive cigars, first-class travel and luxury hotels, while insisting he received nothing in return.

The acquittal on the most serious charges at the time was seen as a major victory for Olmert, who denied being corrupt. He was convicted only on a lesser charge of breach of trust for steering job appointments and contracts to clients of a business partner, and it raised hopes for his political comeback.

But Olmert's former office manager and confidant Shula Zaken later became a state's witness, offering diary entries and tape recordings of conversations with Olmert about illicitly receiving cash, leading to a retrial. In the recordings, Olmert is heard telling Zaken not to testify in the first trial so she would not incriminate him.

The judges concluded that Olmert gave Zaken part of the money in exchange for her loyalty, and used the money for his own personal use without reporting it according to law. They convicted him on a serious charge of illicitly receiving money, as well as charges of fraud and breach of trust.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-05-25

[than]

As you can see, politicians are convicted of corruption in Western democracy, contrary to what Thaksin and Yingluck proclaims

[Seastallion]

That will teach Olmert to try and parley with those pesky Palestinians.

[ezzra]

Money, lust and unbridled greed have befallen many a good men.. and Olmert is only but one of the long lines of good men that has gone wrong....

[Jay Sata]

Several Israeli prime mimisters have faced fraud charges in the past.

It appears to go with the job.

Edited May 25, 2015 by Jay Sata

[TooPoopedToPop]

That will teach Olmert to try and parley with those pesky Palestinians.

It will act as a warning to future prime ministers, just as the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin did.

At least Olmert wasn't killed... maybe Israel is becoming a kinder gentler society.

[konying]

Several Israeli prime mimisters have faced fraud charges in the past.

It appears to go with the job.

As oppose to ministers from neighboring countries facing firing squad or a gas tank up the backside

[spidermike007]

Money, lust and unbridled greed have befallen many a good men.. and Olmert is only but one of the long lines of good men that has gone wrong....

One could easily make an argument that by assuming a position in national office, it is nearly assured you will become a corrupt man or woman. Just too much power, money, or temptation at stake. It does seem to require someone on the level of a Bill Bradley, a Bill Richardson, an Elizabeth Warren, an Anwar Sadat, a Gandhi, or someone of that caliber, moral integrity, and determination to resist it. All the others, all of the small men and women do not seem capable of resisting that temptation. I think there are but a few people in the US political system, at a national level, who are not absolute whores. The commander in chief is included in that group.

[Jay Sata]

Several Israeli prime mimisters have faced fraud charges in the past.

It appears to go with the job.

As oppose to ministers from neighboring countries facing firing squad or a gas tank up the backside

So that makes it OK then?

[konying]

Several Israeli prime mimisters have faced fraud charges in the past.

It appears to go with the job.

As oppose to ministers from neighboring countries facing firing squad or a gas tank up the backside

So that makes it OK then?

Makes it civil not barbaric

[BKKBobby]

Several Israeli prime mimisters have faced fraud charges in the past.

It appears to go with the job.

As oppose to ministers from neighboring countries facing firing squad or a gas tank up the backside

So that makes it OK then?

Makes it civil not barbaric

You can always make Israel "look good" by pointing fingers at the neighbours in the region. In effect you compare Israel with ME style dictatorships.

Most countries dont need to do that to look good. =)

Everytime we have a dialagoue you bring up the World Arabs and the rest of Arab countries, the neighbours and etc...

Theres some 350 million Arabs that have nothing to do with Palestinians. Stop talking about "Brothers". Its a issue about Israel and the occupied terroritories. Hanging gays from construction cranes in Iran is barbaric but Off-topic, get the point?

Assads Syria is a mess (should have been left as it were from the beginning so no one who later become ISIS could "consficate weapons". Executing ex-political leaders in Egypt is not compatible with western European democratic values. The list goes on... Please use real arguments instead of pointing at other countries. No misdirections and deflections, please

Edited May 26, 2015 by BKKBobby

[konying]

You can always make Israel "look good" by pointing fingers at the neighbours in the region. In effect you compare Israel with ME style dictatorships.

Most countries dont need to do that to look good. =)

Everytime we have a dialagoue you bring up the World Arabs and the rest of Arab countries, the neighbours and etc...

Theres some 350 million Arabs that have nothing to do with Palestinians. Stop talking about "Brothers". Its a issue about Israel and the occupied terroritories. Hanging gays from construction cranes in Iran is barbaric but Off-topic, get the point?

Assads Syria is a mess (should have been left as it were from the beginning so no one who later become ISIS could "consficate weapons". Executing ex-political leaders in Egypt is not compatible with western European democratic values. The list goes on... Please use real arguments instead of pointing at other countries. No misdirections and deflections, please

I do realize you are confused most of the time, but Israel IS In the middle east and it is your beloved Arabs who cut peoples heads off no one else.

So do try to keep up, or at least post something little more intelligent to appear little more intelligent

[Ulysses G.]

You can always make Israel "look good" by pointing fingers at the neighbours in the region.

That's for sure.

"In any war between the civilised man and the savage, support the civilised man. Support Israel. Defeat Jihad."

Edited May 26, 2015 by Ulysses G.

[Jay Sata]

I thought we were discussing the corruption in Israeli politics?

[Scott]

I thought we were discussing the corruption in Israeli politics?

Thanks for the reminder. Perhaps a holiday would help some posters stay on topic?