Olmert May Face Criminal Charges

Agence France Presse

Published: September 9, 2008 (Issue # 1406)

JERUSALEM — Police recommendations that criminal charges be filed against Ehud Olmert dealt yet another harsh blow to the Israeli premier whose government has been battered by the corruption allegations.

While a final decision is not expected for weeks or even months, the Israeli media is almost unanimous in declaring that the police move marks the end of the Olmert era.

Olmert’s government is already hobbled by mounting internal divisions that could prevent it from making any significant decisions in U.S.-backed peace talks with the Palestinians or indirect negotiations with Syria.

“Olmert is a dead horse. Occasionally, he still kicks but his kicks are weak,” the left-leaning Haaretz newspaper said in an editorial.

On Sunday Olmert failed to convince his cabinet to discuss a plan to compensate Jewish settlers who agree to relocate from the occupied West Bank to Israel as part of a future peace agreement with the Palestinians.