Hirchson - the full story

Friday's Haaretz Magazine has a story by Gidi Weitz which outlines the full extent, as discovered by Haaretz and based on testimonies from police statements and other interviews, outline a fantastic, (and if he had not been caught and the facts proven, the word could be taken literally) story of him using a whole network of people to carry out his embezzlement of 2.5 million shekel from the National Workers Federation (NWF).

This included
"NIS 1.2 million for permanent monthly "expenses," between NIS 600,000 and NIS 750,000 for trips abroad, NIS 160,000 as "holiday grants," NIS 115,000 for meals in restaurants and in the Knesset cafeteria, NIS 72,000 for medicines and NIS 30,000 to host members of the Likud Central Committee. The investigators also suspect that the NWF financed Hirchson's campaigns in the Likud primaries of 1998 and 2002 to the tune of NIS 600,000."

If you thought that the scandal of our prime minister and bank leumi were over, then an article, also in Haaretz stated that not only is the case still open, but they are awaiting on the results of another case involving the Dimona Silica Industries by the ministry of trade, when he was the minister.

Will this end ?

Resignation with more corruption to follow

This week Yaron Zelicha has announced his resignation. As readers of this blog may have guessed, I am a bit of a fan of his. I support his championing of anti-corruption right up to the point where the fight literally cost his job. He announced his resignation today saying, according to Arutz 7 “I intended to wait until the investigation (of then-Acting Finance Minister Ehud Olmert) was over.

This investigation has finally been handed over to the police to investigate now Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Olmert is currently under 3 separate police investigations; the first is the purchase of a house in Jerusalem, alleged political appointments through the small business unit of the Ministry of trade and industry ,and now this - trying to rig the sale of Bank Leumi whilst he was Finance Minister.

The prime minister who is currently undergoing criminal investigations whilst at 2 former ministerial posts, and 1 currently, whilst Prime Minister (the house purchase). In most countries political leaders are meant to set examples, show leadership, moral standings, but it would seem Israel is exempt from such leaders.


If you read today's Haaretz there is an article about the investigation into the former finance minister Abraham Hirchson.

As some background .."On March 20, 2007, Hirschson was investigated for seven hours by Israeli police regarding an alleged embezzlement at a non-profit organization while serving as the chairman of the National Workers Labour Federation.He suspended himself from May to July while Israeli police investigated him for embezzlement,before resigning on 1 July."

The article in today's paper relates how a researcher in the archives of the case was sorting through all the documents prior to their computerisation, came across an envelope with 576 old Shekels marked for Ovadia Cohen, who was one of the organisations senior executives.

If you remember that the new Israeli Shekel only came into existence in 1985, and the suspicions of which he is being investigated are from the 90s, we can get an idea of the people who are making there way into government even today.

How can we stop this crippling, demoralising, illegal corruption ?
Do we have a new Zelicha-like figure to be able to work on stamping out these crimes ?


There was a joke circulating round about a year ago which is sadly going to need a lot more lines added to it.
I just hope we can find some true leaders of Israel ..

Your comments, as always, appreciated

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If Arik (Sharon) would wake up today….

It is a rainy night and we are at Tel Hashomer Hospital. Only one assistant is around, named Shmiel. He is on night duty tonight in the room of “sleeping” former PM Sharon.

Everybody, but Sharon himself, knows he is no longer the Prime Minister of Israel. Shmiel is sitting peeling an apple and G the Shaba”k agent is nodding off.

Suddenly, all the machines start to beep. The PM is waking up!

Sharon says, “I haven’t slept like that for a long time! Get me [Reuven] Adler, I have some ideas for a new direction.”

Shmiel says, “Good morning, sir. How do you feel?”

Sharon answers, “I am dying of hunger. Where am I?”

The shabak agent continues to sleep while Shmiel explains to Sharon what had happened to him.

Sharon does not take him seriously and says, “So tonight you fooled with the PM, eh Shmiel?”

Shmiel says, “Sorry sir but you are really no longer the PM.”

After a few minutes Sharon asks, “So who replaced me?”

Shmiel answers, “Ehud Olmert.”

Sharon reacts, “Olmert? That Jerusalemite putz? What will happen if war breaks out, he does not know how to run the army! At least Shaul [Mofaz] is still there!”

Shmiel answers, “Mofaz is the Minister of Transportation.”

“So who is the Defence Minister?”

Shmiel says, “Peretz.”

“That old man is still alive?!” asks Sharon in wonderment.

Shmiel whispers trembling, “not Peres, Peretz. Amir Peretz.”

“What? Are you crazy? I close my eyes for a minute and you guys let a labor leader take over the defence of the country?! Not all the factories in Dimona are the same. Does he know that? Listen, get Omri here right away. He will fix everything.”

“Sorry sir, Omri is on his way to jail.”

“Jail?? for that shtus? I do not believe it. So get me my lawyer quickly. Get Klagsbald.”

Shmiel responds, Klagsbald is on his way to jail.”

Sharon calms down and says, “I knew I could count on Klagsbald. he will get Omri out of it.”

Shmiel corrects him and says, “No, sir. Klagsbald is also on his way to jail. He was driving and not paying attention and caused an accident unintentionally running over and killing a young woman and her son.”

Sharon said, “So bring me [Avigdor] Yitzchaki. He always knows how to fix these situations.”

“Sorry, sir. Yitzchaki is under his own investigation for tax fraud. He fixed things too much this time.”

“Can’t be. I know Yitzchaki. They must be framing him. So get me the Head of Police.”

“Sorry, sir, but Karadi is in investigation.”

“Of course he is. He is the head of police. I am sure he is in the middle of a number of investigations!”

“No, sir. Thi s is an investigation against him!”

Sharon takes a deep breath. It can’t be. The whole justice system has been ruined! We must get them out of this. Get me the minister of Internal Security, Tzachi [Hanegbi].”

“Sir, Hanegbi has been indicted for fraud, bribery and job fixing.He is not a minister anymore.”

“So get me the Justice Minister. Who did Olmert appoint?”

“Haim Ramon”

“So get him here!”

“Sorry sir. I can’t. He has been indicted and is on trial for misconduct.”

“What? So get me the president. That is still Katzav, right?”

“sorry sir, but Katzav is under investigation as well, formisconduct and wiretapping.”

“So get me the Chief of Staff, Boogie [Moshe Ayalon]. Sorry I mean Halutz, right?”

” Sir, he got into some trouble in the Lebanon War. Nothing criminal. he sold some stocks. He will soon be giving testimony to an investigative committee.”

“Halutz?? he was a young Piper pilot during the Lebanon War!”

“Sir, that would be the second Lebanon War, while you were sleeping. We… how should I say? lost the war but the PM said we should be patient, victory is coming.”

Sharon looked around his room. “What is your name and what is your position?”

“Shmiel, sir. I am a hospital attendant.”

“Ok, Shmiel. Do not tell anyone about this conversation.”

“You can count on me, sir.”

“I am going back to sleep.”

Whats the point in being honest ?

An excellent article appeared in a weekend edition of Haaretz back in February 2007. The main story in the weekend section that edition was not about a traditional political figure, but rather the Accountant General Yaron Zelekha. I urge you all to read this article. Its a little long, but well worth it. The article can be found here This article extols the honesty, integrity and dedication this man has given to the state.

Bibi Netanyahu in his blog post tells also of examples of how much he as been able to save the state, after appointing him to the position and the benefit to the country in having this man in this position.

His decisions have not made him popular (he was assigned a full time body guard due to the corruption he was uncovering and other such noble activities which made him such an easy target for Israeli politicos and other characters. (It was Zelekha who discovered the Bank Leumi scandal,in 2005, which implicates, amongst other people, our Prime Minister, Olmert.)

So, in today's papers, and online sites ynet, haaretz and others, it tells the story of how his contract is not being renewed.

The only person in the government who is taking political corruption seriously, including publishing a comprehensive anti-corruption plan, being a star witness against olmert in the Bank Leumi case and other major innovations within Israeli political circles, is being fired.

The Finance minister has decided not to keep on his employment. The State Prosecutor has stated that he will not intervene. The state comptrollers office has yet to make their decision.

The levels of corruption in Israeli politics is growing. According an article in the IHT in 2006, (I am sure there are more, but this is the first one i found, the last parliament, when Sharon was in power, was the most corrupt one ever. The main political players are still involved in politics now. We are suffering from a severe lack of ethical and moral leaders. This is meant to be the country which shows the others the way. Instead we can be more compared to the corrupt nations of the world, rather than the honest ones.

The political system is set up to fail the people. Its all about the party. How good you are in the party, how well the party perceive you. At the last elections, there were several good people, with good ideas for reform, who were all conveniently a little bit too low down on their lists to actually make a difference. Instead, the usual suspects were at the top. This is not change, it makes no difference who you vote for. It would take a landslide victory of 1 party in order to get new people, new ideas into Israeli politics.
Electoral reform is discussed every election, primarily amongst olim; those who came from representative based systems. Those from where the elected officials are responsible to the people they represent, not the party line they have to tow. There is Little incentive to work for the people if you don't directly represent them. So in order to get ahead, you need a few bribes here, a few favours handed out there. Every office seems to do it. Its all a "if you help me now, if i get this position, i'll help you" mentality. This is not the Israeli protexia, where having good contacts will get you almost anything you need, this goes far beyond it.


And the govt is getting rid of the man trying to stop the corruption.
I don't know what the public in Israel can do. I don't know if we have the ability to petition the government - saying that WE want him in the position. Telling them that WE want and need someone digging out the corruption within the system. We need to be able to trust our leaders. One of my colleagues at work mentioned today that for him, a bigger issue than security, is trusting the people who make those decisions. If all your choices are based on what stock options you need to get rid of, or what friends you need to tip-off before you make the decisions -- the person may have the experience, but are they really thinking of the country, or just the best way to line their own pockets.