Parole board cuts prison sentence for ex-prime minister
JERUSALEM — Ehud Olmert, the former prime minister of Israel who is serving a 27-month sentence for bribery, fraud, obstruction of justice and breach of trust, is expected to be released Sunday after a parole board cut his sentence by a third.
The board’s decision Thursday appeared to close a legal saga that has roiled Israeli society and politics for years. Olmert, forced to resign during an intensive, if inconclusive, round of peace talks with the Palestinians, was the first former head of government to be imprisoned for misconduct in Israel, though the crimes for which he was convicted did not take place during his tenure as prime minister, from 2006 to 2009.
Olmert entered prison in February 2016 after being convicted in various cases on charges of bribery, obstruction of justice, fraud and breach of trust. He acknowledged having made “mistakes” but has consistently denied criminal wrongdoing.
The parole board’s decision was a great relief to Olmert, 71, his lawyers said. Prosecutors, who opposed a commutation of the sentence, had until the end of Thursday to appeal for a delay in the execution of the order, but it was not immediately clear if they would do so.
Police have also been looking into the possibility that Olmert mishandled classified information when he gave part of a manuscript that he had written behind bars to one of his lawyers to take out of the prison.
Olmert’s lawyers argued that the manuscript would be subject to military censorship before publication and that there had been no security breach.
The police inquiry this month prompted a public uproar and increased sympathy for Olmert after a raid at the offices of Yedioth Books, publisher of his memoir, as well as at the home of his editor. Officers seized material that was unrelated to Olmert’s book, a move that many Israeli critics saw as vastly overstepping their authority. A judge examining a case brought by Yedioth Books for the return of the materials warned that the raids and seizures undermined freedom of speech and the freedom of the press, cornerstones of the country’s democratic system.
Amid the brouhaha, Olmert suffered chest pain and was hospitalized for a week. He was discharged from the hospital Tuesday.
Olmert’s legal troubles began in 2008, two years after he became prime minister, and he was forced to resign from office under the growing weight of police investigations. He was convicted of taking bribes as mayor of Jerusalem — a role he filled from 1993 to 2003 — in part to facilitate the construction of a large housing complex known as Holyland, despite fierce local opposition.
Originally sentenced to six years in prison, Olmert had his prison term reduced significantly after the Israeli Supreme Court overturned a main part of his conviction relating to the housing project. He was also serving time for a separate case involving his relations with an American businessman, Morris Talansky. Some of the charges related to a period when he was serving as a government minister, but none pertained to his time as prime minister.
Israeli law bars him from holding office for seven years.