Olmert faces such rivals as Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Public
Security Minister Avi Dichter. Political sources said Livni and Dichter were
believed to be discussing a plan to topple Olmert and form an emergency
government with the Labor Party, led by Defense Minister Ehud Barak.
"The idea is built around the mutual interest that neither Kadima nor
Labor wants early elections," another source said. "But if Olmert is brought
down by an indictment then anything can happen."
Political sources said Barak was examining the option of forming an
emergency government with opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu, chairman of
the Likud Party. Under this option, the sources said, Kadima would not be
part of the coalition.
"I don't think that the prime minister can manage the country and deal
with his personal issues," Barak said on Wednesday. "I think the prime
minister must separate himself from the daily operations of the state. The
Kadima Party must act. It has to happen soon."
At a news conference, Barak did not set a deadline for Kadima to remove
Olmert from office. But the defense minister warned that if Kadima fails to
act, then Barak would seek to convene early parliamentary elections.
On Tuesday, American businessman Morris Talansky testified for seven
hours in a Jerusalem court that he provided Olmert with at least $150,000 in
secret cash payments since the 1990s. Talansky said Olmert's secretary would
contact the American and arrange for meetings where Olmert could pick up
envelopes of cash for
vacations, luxury hotels, watches, cigars and first-class air travel.
"I never got any of the money back," Talansky said.
Talansky was scheduled to resume his testimony in July. Chief prosecutor
Moshe Lador said the investigation was proceeding and would not discuss the
prospect of an indictment.
"No indictments were being mulled," Lador said. "The decision on whether
to issue an indictment would be made when the investigation is over."
Olmert did not respond to Barak's appeal or Talansky's testimony. But
aides said Olmert was intent on remaining in office and leading Kadima in
elections scheduled for late 2009.
"The prime minister can manage Israel," Tal Silberstein, who serves as
Olmert's political strategist, said. "He is doing it in a cool manner."