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Inside Israel

Olmert's days as PM now numbered


By Stan Goodenough
May 29, 2008

A week after announcing the opening of a door to negotiations with Syria that could endanger Israel's hold on the Golan Heights, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is battling for his political life.

And while he has been cherishing the prospect of making his mark by securing some form of a lasting agreement with the PLO that, too, appears an increasingly futile hope as pressure mounts for the prime minister to resign.

Olmert is being investigated by police for having allegedly accepted bribes or laundered money received from an American businessman.

Addressing journalists in Jerusalem Thursday Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni - Olmert's number two - said their Kadima Party needed to prepare for "every eventuality, including early elections."

"The reality changed after yesterday," she said, referring to an announcement made by Defense Minister and Labor Party leader Ehud Barak.

Barak set the ball rolling at a lunch-time press conference in Tel Aviv when he declared that the country could not be run by a man who is struggling to keep his own personal affairs in order.

With Hamas rockets in the south, Hizb'allah consolidating its position in the north, Syria indicating it wants to discuss the future of the Golan Heights, and Iran pursuing as never before its own atomic bomb it was necessary, Barak said, for Olmert to step down.

While Barak was accused of political opportunism by left-wing Knesset members who believe the prime minister is the best hope for their cause, others in the coalition - including at least two members of Olmert's own Kadima Party - joined their voices to the growing chorus for him to "go home."

Barak's Labor Party Thursday gave their leader their full support.

And Israeli news outlets reported that political parties were already beginning to prepare for early elections, which could be held as early as November [interestingly the same month as the presidential elections in the United States - Ed].

Olmert was putting a brave face on things Thursday morning, touring the rocket ravaged western Negev and telling his colleagues and the public in general that he is quite capable of running the show - and that he will not step aside.

Protesting his innocence, Olmert earlier did promise to resign if actually indicted on any criminal charges, and a decision about that has yet to be reached.

But the premier, never really popular since winning the election in April 2006, and having survived a number of scandals, has already lost the country's confidence.

According to a poll conducted for the leftist daily Ha'aretz Monday, fully 70 percent of the nation says they do not believe that Olmert is telling the truth concerning the allegations that he accepted bribes.

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