The plans to set a date for the ruling Kadima party's primaries may be put on hold until after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's attorneys get a chance to grill prosecution witness Morris (Moshe) Talansky. Businessman and philanthropist Talansky is scheduled to be cross-examined in a Jerusalem court six weeks from now, on July 17.
Leading Kadima ministers Shaul Mofaz, Meir Sheetrit and Avi Dichter have agreed to postpone talk of party primaries until after the cross-examination, Army Radio reported Thursday. The radio station quoted a senior party official as saying that, unlike her colleagues, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni was anxious to hold primaries as soon as possible. Livni is touted by sections of the media and pollsters as the most likely person to replace Olmert as Kadima's leader if primaries were held.
Just two days ago, Olmert's confidantes were quoted as saying that they would not oppose primari
"If Olmert prevents primaries we will go to elections. The train has left the station and it cannot be stopped."
es in Kadima. However, judging by the leaks in Israel's news media, there may be some new wind in Olmert's sails, and he is less willing to give up his hold on Kadima's leadership slot. The Kadima constitution gives him the power to prevent the primaries from taking place should he wish to do so.
'New tapes'
According to news site NFC, Olmert's confidantes, who are now in the U.S., have new recordings of Talansky which they will produce upon their return to Israel. The report did not specify when the recordings were made, what Talansky said in them or how they could affect the proceedings against Olmert.
A senior source in Kadima told NFC that if Olmert tries to impede the primaries, "the road to general elections will be shortened." The source said: "According to what I know, if Olmert prevents primaries we will go to elections. There will be no avoiding this. The train has left the station, and it cannot be stopped."
Olmert has said that if and when he is served with an indictment, he would resign from office. He was also reported to be determined not to allow Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni to benefit from his downfall.
Members of the police's National Fraud Unit will fly to New York, where they reportedly may seek to question Olmert's son Shaul.
Cash payments
Talansky is suspected of making illegal cash transfers to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. In his court testimony in late May he said that he had transferred some $150,000 to Olmert over a period of 15 years. Israeli media printed earlier this week one of the letters in which Olmert had tried to aid a Talansky business venture by introducing him to several American billionaires.
Olmert's lawyer Eli Zohar said Talansky's testimony was "twisted" and said the truth would be revealed in his cross-examination. "In general, we're saying that we're not talking about criminal activity whatsoever," Zohar said.
Olmert's legal team, led by Zohar, continues to review material from the police investigation, in an effort to find contradictions in Talansky's testimony. Members of the police's National Fraud Unit will fly to New York to continue the investigation into Olmert, where they reportedly may seek to question Olmert's son Shaul, as well. Shaul Olmert was mentioned by Talansky in his testimony.