After all, this has caused tremendous damage to the PM to allow Talansky's testimony to go unrefuted. Olmert's attorneys could have cross examined Talansky yesterday. Their excuse that they needed more time to prepare is a joke, these are some of the best lawyers in Israel, I am sure that they could have managed in the timeframe given them
I believe that Olmert did this for a number of reasons:
1. Olmert is trying to buy time. By delaying Talansky's cross-examination for almost 2 months he thought he would buy that time. His line of defense is now, give me time to defend myself. This has also pushed out any indictment and in Israel's legalized society what the Attorney General and the courts say goes.
2. It allows them to easily negate Talansky's testimony. All you hear from Olmert's camp is "just wait until we cross examine him" and "we have an answer for everything he said". They can say that now because they don't have to back it up for another month and a half. I am sure that his lawyers on cross examination will be able to refute some minor points and score some points. However, I am quite sure that the overall thrust of Talansky's testimony will not be impugned. Therefore, if they had cross examined him yesterday, they would have no defense. Everyone would realize that the Emperorer has no clothes. By delaying for a month and a half they hope that things die down and people forget what exactly Talansky said.
Luckily, it seems that Olmert miscalculated. The fallout from Talansky's testimony has been overwhelming and will most likely not allow Olmert the time he so desperately wants.
3 comments:
I agree.
one problem is his trip next week to the US. He has, reportedly, requested from the people in Kadima to do nothing until he comes back. At that point he would push for primaries in which he would not participate.
That might be another delaying tactic, as with time things calm down and people move on to other topics. It might be a way of buying time which hopefully will not work.
Olmert is all about buying time. He thinks that if he somehow can survive until the end of July then the Knesset goes into recess and nothing can happen there.
And he's right. By the time the recess ends, the issue will be forgotten and some other issue will have taken over the front pages.
Olmert knows very well that the public has a limited attention span and capacity for outrage. All a bad leader has to do to survive is stall, and stall, and stall..
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