I have said it before, and I will say it again.

The systems might be corrupt, or the systems might not be corrupt. Benjamin Netanyahu has presided over the systems as Prime Minister for the past ten years, and then before that as well with some gaps. And the Likud has presided over the systems for many of the past 35 years or so even when Netanyahu was not at the helm.

So the system, which might be corrupt, was largely appointed and overseen and administered by Netanyahu and the Likud. Many of the people serving in top positions in that supposedly/possibly "corrupt" system are direct appointees of Netanyahu.

So even if it is corrupt, Netanyahu and the Likud are either to blame for fostering a corrupt system or for doing nothing to fix it until it affected them personally, now. They were happy for it to do its magic when it was bringing down political opponents such as Ehud Olmert (and other lesser politicians), but when it turns on Likudniks then it is corrupt.

And no, it is not just Netanyahu and the Likud. Israel Hayom did some digging and discovered that in the past when the issue of passing a law allowing a Prime Minister under indictment to continue serving was on the table, it was MKs from the Labor and Meretz parties, along with Tzippi Livni, Rubi Rivlin and the Arab parties, that supported it.

So all the politicians, or many of them if I would not be cynical, just do things and support bills that will help them and their parties rather than what is good for the country. But that is not really a new revelation.

So, is the system corrupt? I do not know. It might be, but if it is, Netanyahu is as much, if not more, to blame as anybody else.

With word going out that Attorney General Avihai Mandelblit will soon be announcing his decision regarding possibly indicting PM Benjamin Netanyahu, even before the upcoming elections, Netanyahu and his people are going on a full-scale offensive against Mandelblit and a possible announcement.

Netanyahu attack is based on his idea that this is tampering with the elections and democracy and is unfairly going to influence voters. Netanyahu says any decision should only be announced after the election, not before.

All information about public officials, and those wanting to become public officials, competing in elections, is relevant to the voters and should be disclosed. Not disclosing information to the public is as much influencing the voters and disclosing information is. Voters have a right to know.

Even more than that - Netanyahu called for early elections in the shadow of a possible indictment hanging over his head. His expectation was to use the possible indictment, with the current police recommendations for one, as a mandate from the public to rule despite the recommendations against him. This seems to be a cynical exploitation of the public. Netanyahu wanted the benefits of the police recommendations to indict, but not the detriments - the actual indictment.

A theory that came to me is that Netanyahu's goal in calling elections was to delay an indictment. Meaning, Netanyahu knew that the walls were closing in and an indictment was due soon. By calling for elections, he thought he could perhaps pressure Mandelblit to delay the indictment, as it would be "interference" in democratic elections in some way.. Mandelblit seems to be a straight shooter, and does not care about these games - it seems he does what his job requires him to do, and Netanyahu also now sees that.

The police have recommended PM Benjamin Netanyahu be indicted for bribery in "Case 4000". By law Netanyahu does not need to resign. Definitely at least not until there is an actual indictment, which remains to be seen...

That being said, this case does not change my opinion, whether Bibi is indicted or not. As good a Prime Minister as he might have been (and everybody can decide that for himself or herself), I think Israel needs term limits and that Netanyahu should not be eligible to run again anyway.

So, if he is indicted, morally he should step down. If he is not indicted, he should not be able to run again anyway.

Even if he were the greatest Prime Minister ever, no term limits is bad and makes him feel like he owns the position and become somewhat dictatorial and corrupt. Some say there is nobody who can replace him - there is always someone who can replace the person everyone thinks is irreplaceable. Nobody is irreplaceable. There was an Israel, with Prime Ministers, before Netanyahu, and there will  be after Netanyahu as well.

In what might be thought of as "Throwback Tuesday" headlines back from the '90s, the police, having concluded the investigation into allegations of fraud and tax evasion, the police are recommending the indictment of Aryeh Deri for bribes to the tune of hundreds of thousands of shekels along with tax evasion to the tune of millions of shekels.

Surprise, surprise. Putting Deri back in charge of the Misrad Hapnim was like appointing the cat in charge of guarding the milk, as so many people said at the time...

Anyways, Deri must be hoping for the government to fall and fast elections, and is probably disappointed now that Bennett backed down from bringing the government down yesterday and is still hoping for Kahlon to do that in the coming days... Fast elections would be great for Deri to capitalize on this police recommendation and possible indictment soon. Deri will become a martyr and the traditional mizrachi voters will be whipped up to support Shas after seeing how the establishment has Deri as a target once again.

We've been down this path before. This story is a rerun.

J'Accuse! He is innocent! Will they just use the old calls in support of Deri, and just reuse the old flyers, or will they come up with something new this time?

According to a report on Walla News (they have audio), a kashrut inspector (mashgiach) for the Rabbanut had been appointed to 9 different food establishments in Jerusalem, with him working upwards of 20 hours a day. This sounds like a lot bu tit is nothing compared to the mashgiach who was discovered last year to be responsible for 19 locations and working 27 hours a day!

Actually, this Shmuel Shapira isnt the slacker I just made him out to be. In addition to those 9 food establishments, he is also the rav of the Rami Levi supermarkets, he assis Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem Rabbi Shlomo Amar in his visits around the city, and he is also a supervisor for tens more of establishments.

While some say this points to corruption, I suggest that perhaps it is simply a man who works very hard, maybe even is a workaholic. Perhaps he should be given praise and some sort of medal for working 20 hours a day to ensure we all eat kosher food in the establishments under his authority. And I hope he gets paid commensurate to his hard work.

Just joking. About him deserving a medal and praise.

a roundup of my tweets from this evening's announcement of the police recommendations to indict Netanyahu in two of the investigations he was involved in:

 - When discussing the bribes received by Netanyahu and converting the sum to dollars, do we use today's exchange rate or the rate from a year ago?

 - And once again Yair Lapid screws the haredim

 - The guy is worth millions. I can't understand why he would have other people buy him his wine, jackets and cigars and why take bribes to the tune of $300k

 - will we see Netanyahu show up in court with a big black kipa and holding a tehillim, as many criminals in Israel do?

I did not mention the arrests in Lakewood for alleged welfare fraud, as I had nothing different to say about it beyond the shock and anger everyone else was already expressing. A news report that was published today provides some additional insight worth getting upset about.

Previously, when the news broke, it was relatively easy to say it is a few people, and even though a shul rabbi was involved, and just less than a dozen people - ok, every community has its black sheep. As much of a chilul hashem it is, and it is, at the end of the day it is a few people and not widespread.

According to today's news report on the matter, "In the last two days, hundreds of residents called township leaders asking how they can avoid arrest or get amnesty related to an alleged public-assistance fraud scheme that could stretch into the millions of dollars, according to one law enforcement with knowledge of the ongoing probes." (from APP)

Did you get that? hundreds of residents are calling township leaders asking how to avouid arrest or if they can get amnesty.

That means it is widespread. Assuming, of course, this one law enforcement officer with knowledge is not actually just making it up to scare people.

It is shocking and upsetting that it is so widespread, and it is shocking that they would call in like that looking for amnesty. When, as reported, law officials last year warned community leadership about welfare fraud and how seriously they are taking it and investigating such matters, nobody seemed worried enough to stop or put an end to it, but now that arrests are coming down the pipeline, suddenly everyone is looking to cut a deal.

It looks bad for the entire community, it looks bad for the entire nation, and it really looks bad for Lakewood. and I don't just mean "bad" as far as arrests, but as far as the State probably then changing the welfare system because of this, and the more difficult time people will have in the future qualifying and making a basic living as they have become accustomed to do.

My father has told many times in the past about such things that people need to realize that the government has people employed to spend the entire day, from when they wake up until they go to sleep being paid to find these schemes and charlatans. You might get away with it for a while, but eventually they will catch up to you.

Rumor has it that Netanyahu is considering reversing previous legislation that limits the number of ministers in government to 18. The purpose to reversing it would be to be able to offer more positions to potential coalition partners.

Yair Lapid is one of the people responsible for the law limiting ministerial positions to 18, and he is obviously upset that it might be reversed.

I think this law is a good one, and it would be a shame for it to be reversed.

Lapid's response to the idea that it might be reversed was to call it corruption. Continuing on his path of his election campaign calling everything Netanyahu does "corrupt", Lapid said this is corruption and if it happens he will fight it, and even take it to the Supreme Court if necessary.

I hope Netanyahu does not reverse the law, but not everything is corruption. If he does, it is politics, not corruption.

There has been a news report that the corruption investigation that has largely affected Yisrael Beyteynu has taken a turn and might now include a number of other MKs from other parties.

The names listed as possibly having bene involved were Zeev Elkin and Yuli Edelstein from the Likud, along with Aryeh Deri of Shas and Moshe Gafni of UTJ.

While anything is possible with politicians, and their involvement could be anything from circumstantial in a minor way to being central figures, or maybe it is nothing at all.

Personally, I do not believe they are involved in any criminal way. Especially Gafni and Deri, and even Edelstein.

Since Deri got out of jail, there has not been a hint of him being involved in anything dirty (besides for the normal politics). Gafni has never been accused of corruption and is generally considered honest and trustworthy. Edelstein also has a stellar reputation. Elkin is more of a normal politician, though his reputation has also been clean until now.

While anything is possible, and even clean politicians can become dirty politicians fairly easily, I think they all deserve the benefit of the doubt based on their reputations, until the situation becomes clearer.

It is both a sad and a happy day when a prime minister (or president or mayor or city councilpeople  or other important dignitary) gets convicted for his crimes.

Sad: it is a shame we have corruption at such high levels. I think it reflects poorly on society.

Happy: nobody is above the law. They might not always be easy to catch or bring proof against, but when it happens, nobody is above the law. We have a president in jail, and now we will have a prime minister in jail. Mayors and city-councilpeople and MKs are already regular features of the jail system...

The other day, former MK Yisrael Eichler, speaking about the wave of anti-charedi sentiments being expressed publicly, said that the way to deal with it is to go on the offensive. Eichler suggested that the charedi media should investigate and publicize chiloni corruption.

I am not sure, other than revenge, what he intends to achieve by doing this. Go ahead and expose corrupt chilonim, by all means. But using that as a tactic in exchange for people hating charedim? Is that going to make people love charedim instead?

What's the purpose of his proposal? To show that just like there are corrupt charedim there are also corrupt chilonim? Really? The haredi media needs to waste its time trying to expose that chilonim are "just as bad" as charedim?

That's what it sounds like from his proposal.

Especially coming from Yisrael Eichler that is very strange. In general we are taught to believe we are far better, far more moral and far more honest than the average chiloni (true or not is not my point right now, just that that attitude exists), and Yisrael Eichler is the best example of somebody who constantly pushes that idea (read his weeky articles and you will see that to be the case). So now all he wants, all that will make him happy and satisfied in exchange for a few charedim caught with their hands in the till, all that will solve the problem is to show that we are as bad as everybody else?

I don't have any good suggestions as I am not a public relations expert, but I would think the right way to counter it is more by showing that those who are corrupt are the exceptions, and not the rules. Not by showing that everyone else is just as bad.

Former Mayor of Jerusalem Uri Lapoliansky was released this afternoon from jail to house arrest for a period of 10 days.

He was greeted warmly by supporters...I still have a hard time believing he took a bribe of 3 million shekels...

I hope he proves beyond any doubt that he is innocent, as this video is very reminiscent of the Aryeh Deri days in which we appeared to be lovingly supporting criminals...

If the video below doesn't show for you, see it on the Kikar Shabbos website...

Former MK Shlomo Benizri who is sitting in jail for corruption and bribery is going through a crisis. Because of it, he has asked the President for a presidential pardon.

While I don't see how he "qualifies" for a pardon - doesn't everybody in jail have a hard time? - he definitely has the right to request it. I wish him luck in his request, and whether it is approved or denied, I hope he gets through the difficult period with his well-being intact. It can't be easy, though jail was not meant to be, and I wish him well.

Regarding the chillul hashem that has happened in NY/NJ over the past few days....

I don't know exactly what happened, so my comment might be out of place and/or inaccurate. It is based on what I have read so far about the sting operation.

The chillul hashem stands, and I am not refuting that. I just think the whole situation is very strange. This guy Dweck, the informant, he did not just inform, and obtain evidence, of what all these other people were doing. This Dweck guy set them up. He got what seems like innocent people involved by offering them money and deals.

Generally an informant is supposed to be obtaining evidence on people committing certain crimes - he approaches them and deals with them, getting evidence in the process. Here, some of these people were not at all involved, from what i understand, in all this illegal activity and he approached them and got them involved and turned them in.

That is really dirty, and I do not see why this is not under the category of entrapment, which should get them off.

for the full article of a corruption scandal in New Jersey...

People under investigation almost always claim their innocence.

There are basically two ways to do so:

1. Claim that you are actually innocent and the facts as presented are incorrect
2. Claim innocence on a technical basis - evidence that was illegally collect, etc.
   

While both, assuming they are proven, or at least strong enough claims to put enough doubt into the prosecutors claims, will potentially be able to declare the accused to be innocent, they are very different methods, and leave different imprints on the case.

A prime example of this is my good 'ol governor from Illinois Rod Blagojevich. He finally spoke out about the corruption charges against him. His response is that he is innocent. Perhaps he has more to say that he is holding back, but so far all he has said in his brief press conference is that his innocence is based on the fact that the wiretapping was illegal.

While perhaps legally, if true, that can get him off the hook, that is still a far cry from saying "the truth is with me". He is still goign to be corrupt, and he was still trying to sell the seat of the Senate and all the other charges against him, they just won't be able to get him on it because of the way they obtained the evidence.

And in the public eye, his reputation has already been ruined. Such a declaration of innocence, one where it is not shown that he did nto actually do it, but only shows that the evidence was obtained illegaly, is not goign to be enough to win back the public's trust.

This video is fascinating. It is Ehud Olmert speaking on video about his good friend Moshe Talansky in honor of Talansky's 70th birthday 5 years ago.
The video speaks for itself. Compare it to the things we heard Olmert and his lawyers say recently about Talansky...

I really do not understand the strategy of Ehud Olmert and his defense attorneys in this cross-examination of Moshe (Morris) Talansky.

We now have a headline, from today's cross examination that reads, "10:54 Olmert`s lawyers: Talansky ordered transfer of fund despite insistent denial (Haaretz)"

Wow. What a revelation.

But how does that help Olmert? While, yes, perhaps they are successfully making Talansky look worse than he did before, but how does any of this exonerate Olmert?
So instead of taking money from a guy who arranged cash donations, he took money from a money launderer (if Olmert's lawyers are correct) and all around sneaky guy...

How does any of this help Olmert's case?

Ehud Barak had been investigated for breaking the Campaign Finance laws in 1999 when he ran for Prime Minister. The investigations were then closed for lack of evidence.

Barak's former campaign manager has now approached the State Prosecutor, supposedly brandishing new evidence against Ehud Barak. The investigation is being re-opened. There is even talk of him turning State Witness, which would give him immunity and allow him to feel free to tell everything.

So what we have here, when Barak changed his mind last week and came to an agreement with Olmert, is a criminal protecting another criminal so they can both keep their jobs. Oh yeah, I mean alleged.

What started off as a fairly slow news week suddenly looks like it is going to turn into a really interesting week.

Tomorrow is the vote in Knesset whether to dissolve or not. Olmert is worried he has not been successful in threatening and bribing enough people to support him. People from his office have said tonight that if the vote goes for dissolving the Knesset, even though it is only going to be the first reading of the bill and he would have a chance to avert it at a later stage, Olmert is planning on resigning.

Instead of resigning on his own terms when he saw what kind of trouble he was in, Olmert chose to not be a leader, but to be led by others. Instead of leading, he is reacting. Typical of his whole tenure.

The method of his resignation has not been announced, or decided, yet, according to the sources. It makes a difference for whether we go to new elections right away or if their is a caretaker government or somebody else is given the chance to hobble together a coalition.

We can expect a dramatic day today, and if Barak and Shas do not buckle to Olmert's pressure, an even more dramatic day tomorrow.