18 mar 2018
In interview with Ynet, the former prime minister, who served as 16-month prison sentence for corruption, says returning to politics 'is not on the agenda'; says unlike PM Netanyahu, 'I didn't attack anyone as prime minister, my criticism today is done as a private citizen.'
Former prime minister Ehud Olmert stressed on Sunday that he has no plans to return politics after being released from prison last year, where he served 16 months for corruption.
In a special interview with Ynet, Olmert dismissed the question of whether he considered a return to public life, saying "it's not on the agenda."
In a veiled criticism of his successor Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Olmert claimed that "I've never waged a battle against law enforcement authorities as part of my job, and I never preached about morals. I bore my punishment not with love, but with respect."
The difference between him and Netanyahu, he claimed, was that "I didn't do such a thing as prime minister. As prime minister, I never attacked anyone… I say what I'm saying today as a private citizen, who is not in office."
"The person you're talking about is taking advantage of his status as prime minister to threaten people that he could fire them and that he could disrupt their work. And he's doing that to people he appointed, apparently in some cases while rolling his eyes when talking about the jobs they're expected to have in the future. I did not conduct a public campaign against any of the people who worked against me and investigated me," Olmert insisted.
His advice to Netanyahu is "Bibi, go home fast and in an elegant manner," he said, referring to the prime minister by his nickname. "The faster he does that, the more he would be remembered for the good things he has done, and he has done some good things... if he continues in his conduct, these things would be forgotten."
"I don't wish him my way of suffering, regardless of what he did or didn't do and what his family did or didn't do. I wish us that he would disappear from our lives," he added.
Olmert also criticized former prime minister Ehud Barak, saying he was responsible for the collapse of a deal to return IDF soldier Gilad Shalit in March 2008. "The deal was on the verge of completion, but it collapsed when Hamas saw Barak visiting the Shalit family's (protest) tent. They said 'If Barak is going there, it means we can pressure them more.' He caused serious damage as a result of arrogance and seeking cheap popularity."
'Completely acquitted' in Holyland trial
Olmert claimed he was "completely acquitted" in the Holyland affair, a major property deal that led to the construction of the hilltop Holyland apartment towers.
But while a five-member Supreme Court panel said it had not been proven beyond reasonable doubt that Olmert had solicited NIS 500,000 from a real estate developer to help his brother Yossi Olmert get out of debt, it upheld his conviction on accepting the smaller amount.
Olmert insisted the NIS 60,000 he was convicted of accepting "were given to cover political debts... nothing went into my pocket."
While in prison, the former prime minister wrote an autobiographical book, which created some controversy.
"These 900 pages encompass my entire life story," he said. "There are very few people who were witness to the things I was witness to over the past 40 years. This book doesn't go easy on anyone, including myself and my family."
"I talk about my errors and emphasize them. I said very clear things about my errors," Olmert continued. "I regret the fact I sealed by ears and shut my eyes from seeing things that were happening around me, and I didn't know. For example, things that happened with my former aide (Shula Zaken) who took bribes. She's the one who led to my conviction. (But) the fact it happened around me is my failure."
He stressed that "had I known, I would have undoubtedly drawn conclusions. The fact it happened with a senior aide of mine, in the way that it happened, does not release me of responsibility."
In an unprecedented ruling that made him the first Israeli former prime minister to receive jail time, Olmert was sentenced to six years in prison, but his sentence was later reduced to 19 months. He was granted early release by the Parole Board after spending 16.5 months in prison.
Zaken was convicted for her role in the "Holyland" land development case, which found that both she and then-Jerusalem mayor Ehud Olmert had accepted bribes from property developers to overlook building codes and other restrictions for specific projects.
In 2014, Zaken struck a plea bargain and turned against Olmert to reduce her own sentence. She served only 11 months in prison, and in return provided recordings and new evidence against Olmert.
"The judge said about (Zaken) that she's a 'major criminal,' and she received gifts from state's witness (Shmuel) Dachner worth hundreds of thousands of shekels, and she went to the prosecution and offered 'Make a deal with me, so I don't have to sit in prison,'" Olmert said of his former right-hand woman.
'Lador committed serious criminal offenses'
In his book, Olmert wrote about many figures in the legal system, including former attorney general and current Supreme Court justice Menachem Mazuz, former state comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss, former state attorney Moshe Lador, the prosecutor in his trial Uri Korev, former head of the police's investigations unit Yoav Segalovich, former Supreme Court justice Dalia Dorner, and former Supreme Court chief justice Dorit Beinisch.
Despite this, he says that "I don't even say a single bad word about some decision by judge Beinisch, for example."
Olmert then went on to quote Supreme Court Justice Mazuz, who was the attorney general who recommended to indict him. "In the first week of his term (as attorney general), I believe, in response to a recommendation made by then-state attorney Edna Arbel, he said: 'The Attorney General's Office is marking targets.' This wasn't said by Olmert, it was said by Mazuz. So the possibility there is over-eagerness that leads the prosecution to make inappropriate decisions definitely exists, and it was definitely there in my case," he claimed.
He then went on to attack Lador, the state attorney at the time of his investigations. Olmert said that after the first time he was questioned in May 2008, Lador "demanded the court to order a sitting prime minister, after only an hour of questioning, to sit in the dock during the preliminary hearing. This means that in the mind of the state attorney, after an hour of question, I was already a defendant that needed to sit in the dock, rather than a suspect who is given the presumption of innocence. Lador committed serious criminal offenses."
Former prime minister Ehud Olmert stressed on Sunday that he has no plans to return politics after being released from prison last year, where he served 16 months for corruption.
In a special interview with Ynet, Olmert dismissed the question of whether he considered a return to public life, saying "it's not on the agenda."
In a veiled criticism of his successor Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Olmert claimed that "I've never waged a battle against law enforcement authorities as part of my job, and I never preached about morals. I bore my punishment not with love, but with respect."
The difference between him and Netanyahu, he claimed, was that "I didn't do such a thing as prime minister. As prime minister, I never attacked anyone… I say what I'm saying today as a private citizen, who is not in office."
"The person you're talking about is taking advantage of his status as prime minister to threaten people that he could fire them and that he could disrupt their work. And he's doing that to people he appointed, apparently in some cases while rolling his eyes when talking about the jobs they're expected to have in the future. I did not conduct a public campaign against any of the people who worked against me and investigated me," Olmert insisted.
His advice to Netanyahu is "Bibi, go home fast and in an elegant manner," he said, referring to the prime minister by his nickname. "The faster he does that, the more he would be remembered for the good things he has done, and he has done some good things... if he continues in his conduct, these things would be forgotten."
"I don't wish him my way of suffering, regardless of what he did or didn't do and what his family did or didn't do. I wish us that he would disappear from our lives," he added.
Olmert also criticized former prime minister Ehud Barak, saying he was responsible for the collapse of a deal to return IDF soldier Gilad Shalit in March 2008. "The deal was on the verge of completion, but it collapsed when Hamas saw Barak visiting the Shalit family's (protest) tent. They said 'If Barak is going there, it means we can pressure them more.' He caused serious damage as a result of arrogance and seeking cheap popularity."
'Completely acquitted' in Holyland trial
Olmert claimed he was "completely acquitted" in the Holyland affair, a major property deal that led to the construction of the hilltop Holyland apartment towers.
But while a five-member Supreme Court panel said it had not been proven beyond reasonable doubt that Olmert had solicited NIS 500,000 from a real estate developer to help his brother Yossi Olmert get out of debt, it upheld his conviction on accepting the smaller amount.
Olmert insisted the NIS 60,000 he was convicted of accepting "were given to cover political debts... nothing went into my pocket."
While in prison, the former prime minister wrote an autobiographical book, which created some controversy.
"These 900 pages encompass my entire life story," he said. "There are very few people who were witness to the things I was witness to over the past 40 years. This book doesn't go easy on anyone, including myself and my family."
"I talk about my errors and emphasize them. I said very clear things about my errors," Olmert continued. "I regret the fact I sealed by ears and shut my eyes from seeing things that were happening around me, and I didn't know. For example, things that happened with my former aide (Shula Zaken) who took bribes. She's the one who led to my conviction. (But) the fact it happened around me is my failure."
He stressed that "had I known, I would have undoubtedly drawn conclusions. The fact it happened with a senior aide of mine, in the way that it happened, does not release me of responsibility."
In an unprecedented ruling that made him the first Israeli former prime minister to receive jail time, Olmert was sentenced to six years in prison, but his sentence was later reduced to 19 months. He was granted early release by the Parole Board after spending 16.5 months in prison.
Zaken was convicted for her role in the "Holyland" land development case, which found that both she and then-Jerusalem mayor Ehud Olmert had accepted bribes from property developers to overlook building codes and other restrictions for specific projects.
In 2014, Zaken struck a plea bargain and turned against Olmert to reduce her own sentence. She served only 11 months in prison, and in return provided recordings and new evidence against Olmert.
"The judge said about (Zaken) that she's a 'major criminal,' and she received gifts from state's witness (Shmuel) Dachner worth hundreds of thousands of shekels, and she went to the prosecution and offered 'Make a deal with me, so I don't have to sit in prison,'" Olmert said of his former right-hand woman.
'Lador committed serious criminal offenses'
In his book, Olmert wrote about many figures in the legal system, including former attorney general and current Supreme Court justice Menachem Mazuz, former state comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss, former state attorney Moshe Lador, the prosecutor in his trial Uri Korev, former head of the police's investigations unit Yoav Segalovich, former Supreme Court justice Dalia Dorner, and former Supreme Court chief justice Dorit Beinisch.
Despite this, he says that "I don't even say a single bad word about some decision by judge Beinisch, for example."
Olmert then went on to quote Supreme Court Justice Mazuz, who was the attorney general who recommended to indict him. "In the first week of his term (as attorney general), I believe, in response to a recommendation made by then-state attorney Edna Arbel, he said: 'The Attorney General's Office is marking targets.' This wasn't said by Olmert, it was said by Mazuz. So the possibility there is over-eagerness that leads the prosecution to make inappropriate decisions definitely exists, and it was definitely there in my case," he claimed.
He then went on to attack Lador, the state attorney at the time of his investigations. Olmert said that after the first time he was questioned in May 2008, Lador "demanded the court to order a sitting prime minister, after only an hour of questioning, to sit in the dock during the preliminary hearing. This means that in the mind of the state attorney, after an hour of question, I was already a defendant that needed to sit in the dock, rather than a suspect who is given the presumption of innocence. Lador committed serious criminal offenses."
18 nov 2017
Hadas Shteif (L) and Ehud Olmert
Former prime minister and convicted felon Ehud Olmert is accused of sexual harassment by Army Radio journalist Hadas Shteif who claims he pinned her to the wall and licked her ear.
Journalist Hadas Shteif claimed Saturday that former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had sexually harassed her.
"Olmert pressed me against the wall of the Channel 1 studio of the Israel Broadcasting Authority, and whispered in my ear," Shteif claimed at an event in Ness Ziona, adding he then licked her ear "with his disgusting tongue" until she pushed him away.
"I never dared to complain," Shteif, a crime reporter for Army Radio, said. She noted that the incident transpired many years ago,
"All of it is true," Shteif asserted in a Facebook post. "I told a lot of people at the time. I was disgusted. I have not forgotten, and therefore I believe all the women who dare to expose (their harassers—ed) even after 30 years and talk.
"We are in the middle of the revolution For the sake of all of our children, the granddaughters, the grandchildren of all of us. It's our responsibility. We will not be afraid, we will not hide, even at the cost of personal attacks. That's the price I'm willing to pay for the new generation."
Shteif said that over the years she had been sexually harassed by about 40 men and that she remembers each of them.
She says she did not complain against them at the time it happened so she would not be called a serial complainant and belittled, but added that she intends to reveal additional names in the coming days.
Former prime minister and convicted felon Ehud Olmert is accused of sexual harassment by Army Radio journalist Hadas Shteif who claims he pinned her to the wall and licked her ear.
Journalist Hadas Shteif claimed Saturday that former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had sexually harassed her.
"Olmert pressed me against the wall of the Channel 1 studio of the Israel Broadcasting Authority, and whispered in my ear," Shteif claimed at an event in Ness Ziona, adding he then licked her ear "with his disgusting tongue" until she pushed him away.
"I never dared to complain," Shteif, a crime reporter for Army Radio, said. She noted that the incident transpired many years ago,
"All of it is true," Shteif asserted in a Facebook post. "I told a lot of people at the time. I was disgusted. I have not forgotten, and therefore I believe all the women who dare to expose (their harassers—ed) even after 30 years and talk.
"We are in the middle of the revolution For the sake of all of our children, the granddaughters, the grandchildren of all of us. It's our responsibility. We will not be afraid, we will not hide, even at the cost of personal attacks. That's the price I'm willing to pay for the new generation."
Shteif said that over the years she had been sexually harassed by about 40 men and that she remembers each of them.
She says she did not complain against them at the time it happened so she would not be called a serial complainant and belittled, but added that she intends to reveal additional names in the coming days.
Shelly Yachimovich
Following Shteif's allegation, MK Shelly Yachimovich (Zionist Union) posted on Facebook that during the time when former President Moshe Katsav was investigated for sexual assault and rape, a woman detailed to her how she was assaulted by Olmert.
"About 10 years ago, I spoke by a woman who told me that 20 years earlier, Olmert had sexually attacked her," Yachimovich wrote.
"A police complaint, unfortunately, was not an option because of the statute of limitations. Facebook has not yet been created, and exposure, as then as it is today, is not a simple choice for the victim."
A spokesperson on Olmert's behalf denied the allegation, saying the incident never took place.
Following Shteif's allegation, MK Shelly Yachimovich (Zionist Union) posted on Facebook that during the time when former President Moshe Katsav was investigated for sexual assault and rape, a woman detailed to her how she was assaulted by Olmert.
"About 10 years ago, I spoke by a woman who told me that 20 years earlier, Olmert had sexually attacked her," Yachimovich wrote.
"A police complaint, unfortunately, was not an option because of the statute of limitations. Facebook has not yet been created, and exposure, as then as it is today, is not a simple choice for the victim."
A spokesperson on Olmert's behalf denied the allegation, saying the incident never took place.
Rachael Risby-Raz
Rachael Risby-Raz, who was Olmert's secretary, published a post on Facebook in Olmert's defense following Shteif's claims.
"Anyone who knows Ehud Olmert knows that he is a warm and kind person," she wrote.
"After more than 40 years in the public service, anyone who has ever worked with him can testify that he respects women very much and has worked hard to promote them.
"This week we discussed exactly the subject of #metoo, and I told him that as women, we know who these men are that make us feel uncomfortable in their environment. Olmert is not one of them, just the opposite.
"In my 15 years of acquaintance with him, I can testify that I have never witnesses a single case that even approached the definition of 'sexual harassment' because he is simply not that kind of person.
"Ehud is a person who embraces, respects and loves people; women and men. He is one of the best in this matter, and it's a pity (he has to go through this—ed)."
Rachael Risby-Raz, who was Olmert's secretary, published a post on Facebook in Olmert's defense following Shteif's claims.
"Anyone who knows Ehud Olmert knows that he is a warm and kind person," she wrote.
"After more than 40 years in the public service, anyone who has ever worked with him can testify that he respects women very much and has worked hard to promote them.
"This week we discussed exactly the subject of #metoo, and I told him that as women, we know who these men are that make us feel uncomfortable in their environment. Olmert is not one of them, just the opposite.
"In my 15 years of acquaintance with him, I can testify that I have never witnesses a single case that even approached the definition of 'sexual harassment' because he is simply not that kind of person.
"Ehud is a person who embraces, respects and loves people; women and men. He is one of the best in this matter, and it's a pity (he has to go through this—ed)."
2 july 2017
Former Israeli premier Ehud Olmert was released from prison early Sunday a few days after a parole panel granted him early release from his 27-month corruption sentence.
A spokesman for the Israeli prison service said Olmert, 71, was whisked away by Israel’s security service after his release and driven home after serving 16 months.
He said the terms of Olmert’s early release stipulate that for the next few months, he has to do volunteer work, must appear before the police twice a month and cannot give interviews to the media or leave the country.
He added that president Reuven Rivlin could relieve him of the parole restrictions.
Olmert was convicted in 2014 in a wide-ranging case that accused him of accepting bribes to promote a real-estate project in Jerusalem and obstructing justice. The charges pertained to a period when he was mayor of Jerusalem and trade minister before he became premier in 2006.
A spokesman for the Israeli prison service said Olmert, 71, was whisked away by Israel’s security service after his release and driven home after serving 16 months.
He said the terms of Olmert’s early release stipulate that for the next few months, he has to do volunteer work, must appear before the police twice a month and cannot give interviews to the media or leave the country.
He added that president Reuven Rivlin could relieve him of the parole restrictions.
Olmert was convicted in 2014 in a wide-ranging case that accused him of accepting bribes to promote a real-estate project in Jerusalem and obstructing justice. The charges pertained to a period when he was mayor of Jerusalem and trade minister before he became premier in 2006.
28 sept 2016
Court also rejected appeals filed by the state against Olmert’s acquittal in the 'Rishon Tours' corruption case, and against his relatively lenient punishment of a suspended sentence for the 'Investment Center' affair.
The Supreme Court rejected three appeals on Wednesday morning in corruption cases involving former prime minister Ehud Olmert, meaning he will serve eight months in prison in addition to the 18 months he is currently serving for bribery in the Holyland real estate case.
Olmert was convicted for receiving and using over $150,000 in envelopes from US businessman Morris Talansky between 1993 and 2002. The trial began in 2008, when Olmert was prime minister. Olmert appealed the ruling, but it was unanimously rejected.
The Supreme Court also rejected two appeals filed by the state against Olmert’s acquittal in the "Rishon Tours" corruption case, and against his relatively lenient punishment of a suspended sentence for the "Investment Center" affair.
Olmert, who was elected prime minister in 2006 and served in that role until 2009, is the first prime minister in Israeli history to serve a prison term.
He was first charged in 2009 with fraud, bribery, tax evasion, and breach of trust in a number of different corruption cases. He was convicted of breach of trust in 2012 and of bribery and obstruction of justice in May 2014.
Olmert has now served seven months at Maasiyahu Prison, located in the central Israeli city of Ramla. Olmert is serving his term in Block 10, a high-security wing designated for prisoners who have held positions of influence such as judges, policemen, and public figures.
He is due to be released in May 2018.
Olmert's legal woes
Talansky affair: Olmert was found guilty of taking hundreds of thousands of shekels for private use while serving
as economy minister. Most of this money came from businessman Morris Talansky. The former prime minister didn't report the money to the state comptroller as required by law, and he was found guilty of graft, aggravating circumstances, fraud and breach of trust. He was sentenced to eight months in prison. It is th appeal of this sentence that the Supreme Court rejected on Wednesday.
The Investment Center affair: This involved Olmert granting favors in his capacity as a minister to his confidante Uri Messer despite a conflict of interest. Olmert was convicted in 2012 and received a suspended sentence only. The state appealed the lightness of the sentence, but the Supreme Court rejected it.
Rishon Tours affair: This case entailed allegations that Olmert was double and triple-billing trips abroad sponsored by Jewish institutions, and either pocketed the difference or financed trips for relatives. In 2012, Olmert was acquitted of any wrongdoing.
Holyland Affair: Investigations found that during his tenure as mayor of Jerusalem, Olmert accepted bribes to overlook building codes for the construction of the Holyland buildings in the capital.
He was convicted of receiving NIS 560,000 ($160,000 US) in bribes. He was acquitted of two other charges of bribery. The judge rejected Olmert's version of events, declaring that he had lied to the court. The Tel Aviv district court sentenced him to six years in jail, but following his appeal his sentence was reducd to 18 months.
The Supreme Court rejected three appeals on Wednesday morning in corruption cases involving former prime minister Ehud Olmert, meaning he will serve eight months in prison in addition to the 18 months he is currently serving for bribery in the Holyland real estate case.
Olmert was convicted for receiving and using over $150,000 in envelopes from US businessman Morris Talansky between 1993 and 2002. The trial began in 2008, when Olmert was prime minister. Olmert appealed the ruling, but it was unanimously rejected.
The Supreme Court also rejected two appeals filed by the state against Olmert’s acquittal in the "Rishon Tours" corruption case, and against his relatively lenient punishment of a suspended sentence for the "Investment Center" affair.
Olmert, who was elected prime minister in 2006 and served in that role until 2009, is the first prime minister in Israeli history to serve a prison term.
He was first charged in 2009 with fraud, bribery, tax evasion, and breach of trust in a number of different corruption cases. He was convicted of breach of trust in 2012 and of bribery and obstruction of justice in May 2014.
Olmert has now served seven months at Maasiyahu Prison, located in the central Israeli city of Ramla. Olmert is serving his term in Block 10, a high-security wing designated for prisoners who have held positions of influence such as judges, policemen, and public figures.
He is due to be released in May 2018.
Olmert's legal woes
Talansky affair: Olmert was found guilty of taking hundreds of thousands of shekels for private use while serving
as economy minister. Most of this money came from businessman Morris Talansky. The former prime minister didn't report the money to the state comptroller as required by law, and he was found guilty of graft, aggravating circumstances, fraud and breach of trust. He was sentenced to eight months in prison. It is th appeal of this sentence that the Supreme Court rejected on Wednesday.
The Investment Center affair: This involved Olmert granting favors in his capacity as a minister to his confidante Uri Messer despite a conflict of interest. Olmert was convicted in 2012 and received a suspended sentence only. The state appealed the lightness of the sentence, but the Supreme Court rejected it.
Rishon Tours affair: This case entailed allegations that Olmert was double and triple-billing trips abroad sponsored by Jewish institutions, and either pocketed the difference or financed trips for relatives. In 2012, Olmert was acquitted of any wrongdoing.
Holyland Affair: Investigations found that during his tenure as mayor of Jerusalem, Olmert accepted bribes to overlook building codes for the construction of the Holyland buildings in the capital.
He was convicted of receiving NIS 560,000 ($160,000 US) in bribes. He was acquitted of two other charges of bribery. The judge rejected Olmert's version of events, declaring that he had lied to the court. The Tel Aviv district court sentenced him to six years in jail, but following his appeal his sentence was reducd to 18 months.
25 aug 2016
The legal team of the former prime minister convicted and imprisoned for bribery has officially submitted a request for early release to the parole board of the Israel Prison Service; Supreme Court is expected to approve request.
A request by former Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, to shorten the length of his year-and-a-half sentence for bribery by a third is set to be discussed during a parole board of the Prison Service meeting which will be convened on December 25.
Olmert, who began serving his sentence in February, is entitled under Prison Service procedures to a hearing on early release and shortening of his sentence by a third, which would move his release to February 2017. As such, Olmert's lawyers submitted the request and until the parole board is convened, all relevant officials will offer their opinions as to whether Olmert meets the criteria for early release or not.
The State Attorney is expected not to oppose the early release. A legal source on Wednesday said that Olmert does meet the criteria for early release, in that he is a nonviolent offender, has shown remorse for his crimes and has demonstrated good behavior during his incarceration. The same source also stressed that the majority of white-collar offenders are released after only serving two-thirds of their sentences.
In the coming weeks, the Supreme Court is expected to rule on the appeal filed by the state and Olmert against the 8 month sentence imposed on Shula Zaken following the exposure of tapes related to the Talansky affair.
A request by former Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, to shorten the length of his year-and-a-half sentence for bribery by a third is set to be discussed during a parole board of the Prison Service meeting which will be convened on December 25.
Olmert, who began serving his sentence in February, is entitled under Prison Service procedures to a hearing on early release and shortening of his sentence by a third, which would move his release to February 2017. As such, Olmert's lawyers submitted the request and until the parole board is convened, all relevant officials will offer their opinions as to whether Olmert meets the criteria for early release or not.
The State Attorney is expected not to oppose the early release. A legal source on Wednesday said that Olmert does meet the criteria for early release, in that he is a nonviolent offender, has shown remorse for his crimes and has demonstrated good behavior during his incarceration. The same source also stressed that the majority of white-collar offenders are released after only serving two-thirds of their sentences.
In the coming weeks, the Supreme Court is expected to rule on the appeal filed by the state and Olmert against the 8 month sentence imposed on Shula Zaken following the exposure of tapes related to the Talansky affair.
