Today's interrogation was the eighth time that Olmert has been questioned by police - in the process setting a new personal and political record for Israeli premiers.
What a difference a couple of days can make.

On Monday, the eve of Rosh Hashana, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert gave an extensive interview to the daily Yediot Aharonot in which he tossed more than a few bombshells, from publicly stating that Israel should give eastern Jerusalem and the Golan to the Arabs, to mocking the idea that the Jewish state could possibly bomb Iran to prevent the latter from building nuclear weapons.

It was the kind of rambling performance that makes one wince with embarassment that such a person could possibly serve as head of Israel's government.

But as much as Olmert may have found his voice when talking to the reporters from Yediot, he seems to have fallen silent today when he was visited by police investigators looking into allegations of corruption against him.

According to media reports, Olmert "refused to respond to questions" when the police asked him about a particular case that has come to be known as the "Rishon Tours Affair" (in which Olmert is accused of using state money to pay for his family's vacations overseas).

Today's interrogation was the eighth time that Olmert has been questioned by police - in the process setting a new personal and political record for Israeli premiers.

But his silence speaks volumes - and only underlines how crucial it is to the future of the country that the Olmert regime become a thing of the distant past as soon as possible.

The Jewish people deserve better.
Sometimes, a picture says it all - much better than words could possibly do.

The news today in Israel is dominated by - what else? - Ehud Olmert's resignation. This evening, at 7:30 pm local time, the Prime Minister will meet with President Shimon Peres and formally notify him of his decision to leave his post.

Whatever one thinks of Olmert - this is a sad day for the Jewish state. Our task as a people is to serve as a Light unto the Nations, a bastion of justice and righteousness for all to emulate - and now we must watch as our head of government resigns under a cloud of corruption scandals and allegations.

It has been said that a nation gets the leaders they deserve. But I beg to differ - because I think the Jewish people deserve better and the people of Israel deserve better.

We deserve a leadership that will stand firm and proud and defend the nation and its interests, one that will not cower before others. And we deserve leaders who walk in faith with G-d and uphold the highest ideals of honesty, and integrity.

We really do deserve such things - but the way it looks right now, we'll probably have to keep waiting a bit longer until we get them.

from a journalistic point of view, the information is clearly newsworthy and very current. But as Jews, as Israelis - don't they realize the damage such an article could cause?
There is an absolutely astonishing article in Ha'aretz today, one that signifies just how mightily irresponsible Israel's left-wing mainstream media can be.

"Israel asks US for arms, air corridor to attack Iran", screams the headline, clearly suggesting that the Jewish state is making preparations to hit Teheran's nuclear facilities.

The article goes on to list some of the weapons systems that Israel requested from Washington, as well as revealing details of some of the security discussions between the two countries.

Reading the article, one can only wonder why on earth the paper chose to publish such things. What were they thinking?

Certainly, from a journalistic point of view, the information is clearly newsworthy and very current. But as Jews, as Israelis - don't they realize the damage such an article could cause? After all, loose lips sink ships, as the old saying goes.

If Israel is indeed planning to strike Iran is anyone's guess. But better to keep Iran guessing, than to telegraph the play to them in advance, don't you think?

36 months after Israel pulled out, what do we have to show for it? Is Gaza safer? Is Israel safer? The answer is an unequivocal 'no'
Guess what? Three years after Israel withdrew from the area, Gaza is being used as a training ground to attack Jews.

No surprise there: indeed, the Palestinian terrorist organizations are busy exploiting the cease-fire currently in place in Gaza to retrain, rearm and prepare for the next round of conflict with Israel.

That, at least, is what emerges from a report in the Arabic daily A-Sharq Alawsat, whose Gaza correspondent was invited to watch dozens of members of Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades practice urban warfare.

"Since the calm agreement between Israel and Hamas came into play," the paper states, "it has been clearly evident that Palestinian resistance factions, without exception, have taken advantage of the ceasefire by conducting military training for their recruits."

Such training, a spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees said, also includes practicing how to abduct Israeli soldiers.

A number of the Palestinian terror groups are making use of the abandoned and largely demolished Jewish communities that once flourished in Gaza. "These sites," the Arabic daily helpfully explains, "are regarded as the best environment for conducting military training because they are uninhabited, have sandy hills, and are very close to the seacoast."

There you have it: 36 months after Israel pulled out, what do we have to show for it? Is Gaza safer? Is Israel safer? The answer is an unequivocal 'no'.

Instead, the Strip is now being used as a laboratory for terror. And if it isn't dealt with soon, it will undoubtedly blow up in Israel's face.

Following in the finest tradition of misguided French policy, Mr. Sarkozy is doing precisely the opposite of what needs to be done
As much as French policy has shifted since Nicolas Sarkozy assumed the presidency, it seems that old habits die harder than expected in Paris.

Ever since the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in Beirut in 2005 (an act that virtually everyone believes was carried out by the Syrian regime), Western leaders have largely shunned Syrian dictator Bashar Al-Assad.

Until yesterday, that is.

Sarkozy arrived in Damascus to much fanfare, where he has even been photographed smiling side-by-side with Assad. And since France holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, the trip takes on added diplomatic weight and significance.

In private, Assad and his aides must be rolling in laughter at this turn of events. Syria continues to support terror groups such as Hizbullah, maintains its alliance with renegade Iran, and even backed the recent Russian bloodbath in Georgia.

Yet, instead of paying a price for its mischief, the Syrian regime once again finds itself being courted by France and the West, who naively hope to bring about a change in the wily Assad's stance through "engagement" and "dialogue".

Following in the finest tradition of misguided French policy, Mr. Sarkozy is doing precisely the opposite of what needs to be done. Rather than rewarding Assad for his bad behavior with photo-ops and praise, France should be leading the charge to isolate and undermine the dangerous Damascus regime, which does not hesitate to use violence and terror to further its interests.

Then again, I guess we really shouldn't be all that surprised by Paris' pitiful policies. As the French themselves like to say, "plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose" ("the more things change, the more they stay the same").