Israel's P.M. Hounded by Political Rivals

JERUSALEM, May 30, 2008 — -- Israel's political sharks are beginning to smell blood — and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is the one who's bleeding.

Some political commentators say he is now fatally wounded by corruption allegations and the scandalous headlines caused by this week's damning testimony from U.S. businessman Morris Talansky.

In court on Tuesday, Talansky painted a detailed picture of how he allegedly handed over thousands of dollars — much of it stuffed into envelopes — to Olmert over a 13-year period.

The headline writers in Israel had a field day. The Israeli public was shocked.

From Tuesday on, the prime minister's standing and already weak reputation were seriously wounded.

The first political rival to show his teeth was Labor Party leader and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who urged the prime minister to step down, asking Olmert's Kadima Party to take steps to replace him. Barak hinted at leaving the coalition government and calling for new elections.

On Thursday, it was the turn of Olmert's own foreign minister and deputy prime minister, Tzipi Livni. She is from the Kadima Party.

Striding out in front of the cameras in the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament, she said, "It is impossible to ignore the events of the last few days. This is not only a personal matter of the prime minister, these are questions that touch upon the values and norms that we wish to encourage."

And then the bombshell. She said that the party should start planning for an election to find a new leader. You can bet she will stand.

Officials within Olmert's office are said to be furious with her. This is not the first time she has moved against him. After an inquiry into Olmert's handling of the war in Lebanon in 2006, she said he should have resigned.

Their relationship has been cool ever since.

"We always knew this about her," an Olmert associate said. "She waited for the moment that Olmert would be weak and stuck a knife in his back."

Other senior members of the Kadima Party are now putting their names forward as possible replacements.

In a Kadima leadership poll in today's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Livni comes out on top with 39 percent support from registered Kadima members. Next is Shaul Mofaz, a former defense minister, who gets 25 percent.

In the Maariv newspaper, a poll looks at the possibility of a general election. It puts Benyamin Netanyahu and his right-wing Likud Party on top with 30 seats in Parliament. Next comes a Kadima Party led by Livni, with 25 seats. Third is Barak's Labor Party, with 18 seats.

This would most likely result in a new governing coalition led by Netanyahu, and one that would be less committed to the U.S.-backed peace process with the Palestinians.

As for the victim in this political drama, the prime minister can take solace from the fact that he will be away soon, traveling to the U.S. on Monday. First, for a meeting with AIPAC, the Jewish American group, then a White House get-together with President Bush, followed by meetings with the three presidential candidates.

The question here is whether this will be Olmert's last U.S. visit as prime minister and leader of his party.