Olmert Pact Saves Israeli Parliament

But Livni faces uphill climb if she becomes prime minister

(NEWSER) - When she cast her ballot yesterday, Tzipi Livni took a page from Barack Obama and told the Israeli media that party members should "bring about change by voting for what you believe in." Now, writes an analyst in the Jerusalem Post, Israel's prime minister-designate has a tough job: not only to bring peace to the Middle East, but to reform a political system tainted by the corruption of Ehud Olmert. More»

Netanyahu calls for snap elections

(NEWSER) - Benjamin Netanyahu has called for a snap election after Ehud Olmert's sudden announcement that he will resign as Israel's PM. Riding high in the polls, the head of Likud said that "it doesn't matter who heads Kadima. They are all partners in this government's total failure." The call comes as members of the ruling party admitted to Haaretz that Olmert's successor might never take the top job. More»

83-year-old former PM vows to unite country

(NEWSER) - The Knesset voted in Vice Premier Shimon Peres as president of Israel today, after his two rivals for the office dropped out. Peres, a former PM and Nobel laureate, says his job is to unite Israeli society and "expel despair from our midst." He follows Moshe Katsav, who stepped down from the office following rape allegations. More»

(NEWSER) - Israel's foreign minister has called on Ehud Olmert to resign, the highest ranking Kadima party official to call for his ouster. Tzipi Livni, who also serves as deputy prime minister, says she's prepared to stand to replace Olmert in the wake of the damning Winograd report. But the majority of Kadima Knesset members continue to back the embattled leader. More»

Ex-Israeli PM convinced in court he'll 'be able to prove his innocence once and for all'

(NEWSER) - Israel’s attorney general has officially indicted former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on corruption charges, the BBC reports. The 61-page charge, filed in court today, accuses Olmert of "fraud, breach of trust, registering false corporate documents, and concealing fraudulent earnings.” Olmert denies all the charges, which relate to three different cases in Olmert’s political life before he became prime minister. More»