For all of those waiting to see Olmert forced out of office, I suggest that you don't hold your breath. Olmert is a product of his times and surroundings. His corruption is not a meteor that exploded here with no warning. It is more like the tip of a very slippery iceberg that reaches into the depths and cannot easily be removed and forgotten.
The corruption from which Israel suffers is based on its culture of "the rule of law." The law should be nothing more than a tool, designed to keep the peace and define the limits of what is permissible and what is prohibited. The law is meant to reflect - not shape - a national culture. It is meant to direct our public lives according to the values dictated by our culture and traditions. In a normal situation, the law does not "rule." What does rule is justice and morality. The law is designed to help society define its unique expression of justice and morality.
In Israel, justice and morality have disappeared from our national lives. In their stead, we have the "rule of law." "The rule of law" is abused to justify every abomination and to make every outrage legitimate. Because, after all, there is nothing worse than opposing "the law."
This is a unique strain of fascism - an odious form of idol worship. The "rule of law" idol was implanted in the brains of the soldiers who carried out the Expulsion from Gush Katif. Their natural Jewish morals were neutralized by "the rule of law", held in much higher esteem than any other values (obeying G-d's commandments, for example).
And who is the prime minister of the state of "the rule of law?" A seasoned lawyer, of course. A small-time criminal acts against the law. A medium criminal evades the law, while a big-time criminal commits his crime by means of the law. Our current prime minister is a medium criminal. He just may manage to prove that he didn't break the law, after all.
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