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Olmert Says He Will Resign If Indicted -- 05/09/2008
Olmert Says He Will Resign If Indicted
By Julie Stahl
CNSNews.com Jerusalem Bureau Chief
May 09, 2008
Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert denies that he took bribes from an American businessman, but at a late night press conference on Thursday, he promised to resign if he is indicted.
Olmert made the statement from his Jerusalem home at the end of Israel's Independence Day celebrations. He spoke shortly after the Justice Ministry removed a gag order that kept details of the criminal investigation against Olmert under wraps for the last week.
"I was investigated in this matter with the suspicion that I received money improperly," Olmert said in the brief statement. "I am looking into the eyes of every single one of you as I say that I never received a bribe, I never took (a single coin) for my own pocket."
Olmert said he would not give up the responsibilities that he was elected to carry out.
"With that, and even though the law does not obligate this, if the attorney-general decides to issue an indictment against me, I will resign from my position," Olmert said.
The suspicions involve businessman Morris Talansky from Long Island, New York, who is suspected of being the middleman for illegal campaign contributions, Israel's Channel Ten television reported.
Media reports said hundreds of thousands of dollars were funneled to Olmert over a long period of time, through direct cash payments to his lawyer or one of his senior aides.
Talansky told Channel Two television that he was in Israel visiting family during the Passover holiday when he was called in for questioning. He said that he was "baffled" by the case and that he did nothing wrong.
Olmert said he met Talansky, a 75-year-old millionaire and philanthropist, when he was running for mayor of Jerusalem in 1993. Talansky had helped him raise funds, he said.
Olmert has been the target of criminal police investigations four times since becoming prime minister, and he is widely considered by Israelis to have lost the Second Lebanon War for Israel in the summer of 2006 because of his poor decision-making.
But this time Olmert appears to be more concerned about his political future.
So far his largest coalition partner, the Labor Party, headed by Defense Minister Ehud Barak, seems set to stay in the government -- at least until an indictment is issued, Israel Radio reported.
Earlier this week State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice regarded the investigation as "purely a domestic matter in Israel."
President Bush, who is due to visit here next week, is scheduled to meet with Olmert, according to National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley. But the meeting was announced before Olmert made his statement about resigning if he's indicted.
"The president will reaffirm his personal commitment to peace between Israelis and Palestinians, and encourage continuing efforts for a two-state solution, a democratic Israel and a democratic Palestine living side by side in peace and security," Hadley said.
However, he also added that there were no plans for a three-way meeting between Bush, Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
Earlier this week, Olmert's office reported that significant progress had been made so far in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. But those reports are being largely interpreted as an attempt to divert the attention away from Olmert's personal problems.
Palestinian officials have expressed their concern that Olmert's woes will have a negative impact on peace talks.
If Olmert is forced to step down, he would likely be replaced at least temporarily by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who has been heading the negotiations with the Palestinians.
If Olmert's Kadima party is forced to call for early elections, many analysts say that rightwing Likud opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu is likely to become prime minister again.
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