The staggering hypocrisy of Ehud Olmert

Olmert’s attacks on Bibi are one thing, but to hit out at Jonathan Pollard is another.

Only recently, the Jewish people received the wonderful news that Jonathan Pollard, the Mossad agent imprisoned for life in the US was finally free and could move to Israel with his wife. And there was Ehud Olmert, who during an interview at a Maariv business conference, saying that Pollard shouldn’t make Aliyah – so as not to damage relations between Israel and its American ally who would likely frown at the idea of any official welcome for a person who spied against the Americans.

In Olmert’s own words,

“With all due respect, I would prefer that he not move to Israel. We don’t owe him anything. He was a spy who worked for a lot of money. He was not a Zionist volunteer who came and sacrificed his life. He was an American who loved Israel and worked for a lot of money, spying for Israel.”

While it’s is possible to understand not wanting to be seen as thumbing one’s nose at our American allies, it’s the sheer chutzpah of a corrupt former Prime Minister who admitted to receiving over $150,000 in cash envelopes – to accuse Pollard of being ‘in it for the money’.

While Jonathan Pollard may not be a white knight, he contributed to the security of the State of Israel, regardless of his reasons for doing so. He paid a very steep price, 30 years in prison and five years of heavily restricted parole, whereas Olmert spent his shortened jail sentence in relative comfort, preparing his autobiography.

Who is Olmert to accuse Jonathan Pollard of harming Israel’s relations with the US? And especially when coming from a former Prime Minister of Israel who went to prison. One went to jail for helping Israel defend itself, the other for bribery.

If there is someone who shouldn’t be in Israel – it’s Olmert. And If he really cared about Israel’s public image, he should voluntarily leave as a result of the shame and disgrace he brought upon our great nation.

Yet there he is – looking slim and relaxed as his friend Yakkov Katz interviews him as if he was an honorary member of the Royal family.

Katz, as editor of a formerly respectable English language Israeli print newspaper, has given Olmert a weekly column which has been used as a vehicle for nothing other than to push his anti-Bibi agenda to readers of the paper.

Take a look at a selection of the op-ed titles Olmert has penned for this paper and see if you can spot a trend…

• Netanyahu leaving opens new horizons for Israel
• Netanyahu only knows how to destroy democracy
• F-35 sale isn’t dangerous, Netanyahu’s lies are
• Political power is in reckless hands
• Netanyahu wants blood
• Netanyahu is still up to his tricks

The Balfour protesters coined the term ‘crime minister’ for current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who as it stands, has not been convicted of any crime. Yet, former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who served jail time for bribery and obstruction of justice, is basking in his resurgence in the media.

As a political nemesis of Bibi, Ehud Olmert has plenty of reasons to want Bibi out of Balfour. But of all the people in the world to be talking about values, morality and doing what’s right – surely the left and the media could find someone with a bit more integrity?