Disgraced former Israeli PM drums up support for unlikely pardon
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has asked the president to expunge his criminal record so he will be again eligible for political office.
In a conversation with several of his acquaintances on the eve of the Passover holiday, former Minister Rafi Eitan revealed that he planned to approach President Reuven Rivlin with a request to pardon former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert so that his criminal record be expunged. Olmert was released from prison last year after serving 16 months for “disgraceful" — ethical — offenses. A person convicted of such crimes is ineligible for several public offices, including the premiership. Should Rivlin agree, Olmert could then return to political life and perhaps even find himself re-elected prime minister just nine months after being released from prison for bribery, fraud, breach of trust and interfering with a legal investigation.
When I first learned of this last week, it seemed unreal. How could Olmert, a man with the questionable distinction of being the first Israeli prime minister to serve time in prison, think that such a comeback is possible? Or could he be unaware of what Eitan was up to? When I posted the news on Twitter April 2, the inevitable responses were quick in coming. Most people were shocked at Olmert's chutzpah. Some questioned the reliability of the news.
Journalists who contacted Eitan that day and the next learned that he did indeed plan to approach Rivlin about the matter. Eitan may be 91 years old, but he is still sharp and focused. There is something crafty about him. In an interview with Radio 103, he said, “I think the man has already been punished for his actions. He served his time in prison. Furthermore, there can be no doubt that his presence is sorely lacking in the public and political life of the State of Israel. He could contribute far more than many of the other people currently in power. … It is important to strengthen the political realm with people of Olmert’s character, regardless of where they are situated on the political spectrum.”
Eitan later admitted that he wanted to remove the stigma of moral turpitude so that Olmert could return to public life. He would not deny that the former prime minister was involved in his efforts.
