Olmert's term

Olmert's term

By Haaretz Editorial

The State of Israel has known many governments in its 60 years of existence, yet it is doubtful whether it has ever known a worse one than that of Ehud Olmert, which came to its end yesterday. Its balance sheet, after two years and nine months, comes very close to zero. Olmert was not elected to his post; he inherited the job from Ariel Sharon when Sharon fell ill. As Sharon's successor at the head of Kadima, a party that was concocted from members of Likud and Labor, Olmert led the faction to a humble achievement, winning less than one-fourth of all Knesset seats, though that sufficed to form a government. In filling the most senior posts, Olmert acted bizarrely: He named Abraham Hirchson to the Finance Ministry, Amir Peretz as defense minister and Haim Ramon as justice minister. The results were not long in coming. Hirchson resigned after being suspected of corruption, while Peretz failed in his job as defense minister, particularly in his handling of the war in Lebanon. He also lost the leadership of the Labor Party. Ramon chose to duel with the Supreme Court and, after being convicted of an indecent sexual act against a female soldier, was removed from his post, only to be promoted to the job of vice premier.

In Ramon's stead, Olmert named Prof. Daniel Friedmann, who served as a battering ram against the judicial system which he was supposed to defend. It is difficult to determine the extent of the damage Friedmann will leave behind, but his contribution to the public's loss of faith in the justice system and the rule of law is clear even now.

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