Why is this probe different from all other probes?

Ehud Olmert’s fall from grace has been a slow one. Already it has spanned five years, two trials, and two convictions (for accepting bribes and breach of trust). And judging from Tuesday’s papers, the prosecutors aren’t done yet.

Haaretz’s front page makes the recently convicted former prime minister sound a bit paranoid. “Olmert questioned: Declares that Zaken is trying to take him down.” Monday’s questioning of the ex-PM by police focused on possible future obstruction of justice charges stemming from Olmert allegedly having tried to persuade his former aide, Shula Zaken, not to turn on him.

Israel Hayom’s Dan Margalit seems a bit amused by the whole thing, saying that the current situation is better than fiction and comparing Zaken’s betrayal to the daughters of King Lear. Margalit ends up seeing Zaken in a sympathetic light. “Attorney Roy Blecher [Olmert’s lawyer] called her a liar. Of course she must have lied. But for him, and then later for herself.”

Yedioth Ahronoth gives some front-page love to Olmert, but its main story is an interview with former Likud minister Moshe Kahlon. In the article, which is really a teaser for a longer interview that’ll be published in its weekend paper, Kahlon tells the paper, “I plan to return to politics, but I don’t know in what capacity.”

The popular Kahlon retired a year and a half ago and at the time rumors were flying that he could mount a challenge to Prime Minister Netanyahu. Speaking about today’s Likud he says, “The extreme right controls the party,” and he lambastes the party for sacrificing its history of closing economic gaps and caring for the needy to focus only on security. Kahlon says he believes in the Likud of Menachem Begin, a different Likud. “Likud is the party of social compassion, of caring for the poor. But that’s not the Likud of today; it has strayed from the path.”

A difficult holiday

The plight of the working poor has captured the attention of the papers in this week leading up to the Passover holiday. Israel Hayom reports that State Comptroller Yosef Shapira criticized the government in a report for its handling of the situation. “The government has no coherent policy for handling food insecurity.” The report also said the government continues to rely heavily on the private sector to fix the problem and that “indicates very little government interest on the subject.”

To highlight the point, the paper includes an article about a family that needs food assistance. The parents earn a combined NIS 10,000 a month (about $2,865) which the paper considers “quite a bit,” but that’s not enough to pay for their basic needs. “It’s embarrassing and shameful to ask for help, but we have no choice,” said the father. “After we pay for preschool, rent, food, and bills, we’re out of money,” he said.

The issue has caught the eye of politicians as well, and Yedioth reports that Labor opposition leader Isaac Herzog attacked the government for forgetting about the poor. “Lapid’s needy are facing a hopeless situation without a solution,” he said. He went after centrist Finance Minister Yair Lapid [Yesh Atid]] for twice stating he would establish a fund to combat food insecurity but not acting on it yet. “There are speeches, there are promises, there are explanations, but there’s no funding.”

Neighborhood watch

With all that’s been going on in Ukraine and the hunt for MH370, the world’s attention hasn’t been on Syria for a while but that may change. Haaretz’s front page reports that Israeli sources confirm that Assad’s forces carried out at least one, or possibly two, chemical weapons attacks two weeks ago. An Israeli security source told the paper that Israel has definite proof of one attack just over two weeks ago, but cannot prove the second alleged attack. The first attack was in the suburbs of Damascus and wasn’t lethal but “incapacitated people for a few hours.”

A little closer to home, tension is rising in the West Bank between settlers and the IDF. Yedioth reports that settlers punctured a tire of another IDF vehicle on Monday, this time targeting a group of reserves soldiers. The soldiers reacted with dismay. “There’s a feeling of frustration,” said one soldier, “we left work and our families [for reserve duty] and didn’t expect to be treated like this.” The IDF spokesman said the attack crosses a “red line.”

Finally, Haaretz provides an update on the nearly dead peace talks. While a meeting that went late into night on Sunday was productive, the paper quotes an Israeli source who says most of the disputed issues remain unresolved but both sides are trying to find solutions. Yet the Palestinians said of that meeting that Israel refused to even discuss releasing a fourth group (of prisoners as initially agreed and later canceled), making it sound like there wasn’t much progress. That didn’t stop the two sides from meeting again Monday night, but just like the previous meeting, there’s been no word if any solution was found.