On Tuesday, a Jerusalem court dismissed most of the allegations, convicting him only on a lesser charge of breach of trust for steering job appointments and contracts to clients of a business partner
(AP) JERUSALEM – Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s acquittal of the most serious charges in a high-profile corruption case on Tuesday set off a fierce debate about how the peace process might have proceeded differently had the former leader not been driven from office three years ago. Olmert has claimed he was on the brink of a historic agreement with the Palestinians when he was forced to resign in early 2009. His departure cleared the way for hard-liner Benjamin Netanyahu’s election, and peace efforts have been at a standstill ever since. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Olmert on Tuesday afternoon to congratulate him on the acquittal, said Nimr Hamad, an Abbas adviser. “There is no doubt that a great opportunity was wasted with the absence of Olmert. There had been huge progress on all core issues … and the Palestinian and Israeli positions were getting very close on all issues. Unfortunately, that’s all gone now,” Hamad said. Olmert, who headed the centrist Kadima Party, stepped down after he was charged with a series of crimes that included accepting cash-stuffed envelopes from an American supporter and double billing Jewish organizations to cover overseas travel. The alleged crimes took place while Olmert was mayor of Jerusalem and a Cabinet minister, before he became prime minister. On Tuesday, a Jerusalem court dismissed most of the allegations, convicting him only on a lesser...
Read More
Comentarios recientes