UJIA admits Olmert got event invite

Israel’s ex-UN ambassador Dan Gillerman was centre stage at UJIA’s annual dinner on Monday night.

What most of the 700 guests present at London’s Hilton Hotel in Mayfair might not have known was that he was a late replacement for former Israeli premier Ehud Olmert.

UJIA admitted this week that Mr Olmert had been booked to appear as guest of honour for its biggest fundraising event of the year.

Chief executive Doug Krikler said he had been invited — and had accepted the invitation — to speak in London “some months ago”.

More..

Analysis: Former PM in dock after years of allegations

The accusations against Ehud Olmert in the indictment go back 20 years, all the way to a plane ticket allegedly bought for his wife with illegal funds.

Rumours of financial wrongdoing, both on a personal level and connected to party finance, have been swirling around him since the 1970s. He still managed to become a senior minister, a two-term Jerusalem mayor, a prime minister and the second longest-serving Knesset member in Israeli history after the eternal Shimon Peres. How did he get so far and why finally now, after scaling every possible height in political life, is he facing trial?

More..

Men on death row for ‘Israel emails’

A man has been sentenced to death in Yemen having been accused of forging links with Israel.

Bassam al-Haidari, 26, was condemned after allegedly writing to Ehud Olmert, the then Israeli prime minister, offering to work as an agent for Mossad. Two other men were also convicted this week.

Israel denied any having had contact with the three men.

Ali Abdullah al-Mahfal, 24, was jailed for five years and Emad Ali al-Raimi, 23, was sentenced to a three-year term.

More..

Olmert blames Shalit’s parents

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has blamed the intensive media campaign for the release of Gilad Shalit for the breakdown of the talks over a possible prisoner deal — and told his family that they may have harmed his cause.

This week the Israeli government announced that it had refused Hamas demands for the release of 450 senior terrorists, many of them jailed for life for murder.

More..

Olmert date

Members of an emergency UK mission to the Negev met Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The 30 participants in the JNF and One Family trip also visited schools damaged by rocket attacks and met soldiers and civilians injured during the Gaza conflict.

JNF UK chairman Samuel Hayek told Mr Olmert that the group conveyed “the UK Jewish community’s strong feelings of support, empathy, respect and solidarity at this time”.

More..

Free Shalit is Olmert’s final goal

With general elections two weeks away and Israel’s operation in Gaza against Hamas seemingly completed, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has set a new goal for himself before he leaves office — the return of abducted soldier Gilad Shalit.

Despite the military action, the likelihood of a prisoner swap being agreed in the coming weeks is believed to have grown since Israel ended Operation Cast Lead.

More..