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| Ehud Olmert, Ex-Prime Minister of Israel, Begins Prison Sentence | Ehud Olmert, Ex-Prime Minister of Israel, Begins Prison Sentence |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| JERUSALEM — Describing his fall as “painful and strange,” Ehud Olmert became on Monday the first former Israeli prime minister to enter prison, beginning a 19-month term for bribery and obstruction of justice. | JERUSALEM — Describing his fall as “painful and strange,” Ehud Olmert became on Monday the first former Israeli prime minister to enter prison, beginning a 19-month term for bribery and obstruction of justice. |
| In a video released by his office shortly before the armored car carrying him swept through the prison gates, Mr. Olmert, who was convicted in 2014, acknowledged that he had “made mistakes,” but he insisted that he had done nothing criminal. | In a video released by his office shortly before the armored car carrying him swept through the prison gates, Mr. Olmert, who was convicted in 2014, acknowledged that he had “made mistakes,” but he insisted that he had done nothing criminal. |
| “At this time, I want to say again what I said inside the court and outside: that I categorically deny the charges relating to bribery attributed to me,” Mr. Olmert, 70, said. | “At this time, I want to say again what I said inside the court and outside: that I categorically deny the charges relating to bribery attributed to me,” Mr. Olmert, 70, said. |
| Looking somber and fatigued as he described his transformation from leader to convicted prisoner, he said: “I accept the sentence with a very heavy heart. Nobody stands above the law.” | |
| Other high-ranking Israelis have been convicted of crimes, including a former Israeli president, Moshe Katsav, who is serving a seven-year sentence for rape, an interior minister convicted of bribery and a finance minister convicted of embezzlement. | |
| Israeli television broadcast live coverage of Mr. Olmert’s arrival at Maasiyahu Prison, southeast of Tel Aviv. According to prison regulations, he was permitted, like other prisoners, to take with him four pairs of underwear, four pairs of socks, two towels, bedding and toiletries, among other items. | |
| Mr. Olmert’s legal troubles began in 2008, two years after he took office, and he was forced to resign under a growing cloud of suspicion and police investigations. He was convicted of taking bribes while he was mayor of Jerusalem, in part to facilitate the construction of a large housing complex known as Holyland, despite fierce local opposition. | Mr. Olmert’s legal troubles began in 2008, two years after he took office, and he was forced to resign under a growing cloud of suspicion and police investigations. He was convicted of taking bribes while he was mayor of Jerusalem, in part to facilitate the construction of a large housing complex known as Holyland, despite fierce local opposition. |
| In late December, the Israeli Supreme Court reduced his six-year prison sentence to 18 months after overturning the main part of his conviction on bribery charges. It upheld, however, his conviction in a lesser bribery case that was unrelated to the housing project. | In late December, the Israeli Supreme Court reduced his six-year prison sentence to 18 months after overturning the main part of his conviction on bribery charges. It upheld, however, his conviction in a lesser bribery case that was unrelated to the housing project. |
| Last week, a Jerusalem magistrate’s court extended Mr. Olmert’s sentence by a month after rejecting the terms of a plea bargain in an obstruction-of-justice case. | Last week, a Jerusalem magistrate’s court extended Mr. Olmert’s sentence by a month after rejecting the terms of a plea bargain in an obstruction-of-justice case. |
| Mr. Olmert was also sentenced in May to eight months in prison for fraud and breach of trust, in a separate case involving an American businessman, Morris Talansky. The start of that term was postponed pending an appeal, and Mr. Olmert’s lawyers have been examining the possibility of any sentence being served concurrently with Mr. Olmert’s current prison term. | |
| Mr. Olmert emphasized in his statement that none of the charges pertained to his time as prime minister, and he appealed to Israelis not to forget his efforts at peacemaking and his service to the country. | Mr. Olmert emphasized in his statement that none of the charges pertained to his time as prime minister, and he appealed to Israelis not to forget his efforts at peacemaking and his service to the country. |
| As prime minister, Mr. Olmert held extensive peace negotiations with the Palestinians and talks with Syria, and he hinted darkly in his videotaped statement on Monday that his conviction, which he described as a result of a “legal snowball,” grew out of something more than legal considerations. | As prime minister, Mr. Olmert held extensive peace negotiations with the Palestinians and talks with Syria, and he hinted darkly in his videotaped statement on Monday that his conviction, which he described as a result of a “legal snowball,” grew out of something more than legal considerations. |
| “Perhaps with more distance, the public will be able to examine this dire moment with a critical and balanced outlook,” he said. “I hope that then they will recognize that during my tenure as prime minister, honest and promising steps were taken to open a door of hope for a better future of peace, happiness and security.” | “Perhaps with more distance, the public will be able to examine this dire moment with a critical and balanced outlook,” he said. “I hope that then they will recognize that during my tenure as prime minister, honest and promising steps were taken to open a door of hope for a better future of peace, happiness and security.” |
| The prison authorities will now be responsible for the security of a prisoner who was privy to state secrets. | The prison authorities will now be responsible for the security of a prisoner who was privy to state secrets. |
| Mr. Olmert will be held in Wing 10 of Maasiyahu Prison, a section that many Israelis refer to as the V.I.P. wing. The Israeli Prison Service said that renovations of the wing had been completed in recent days and that four other prisoners had already been transferred there. For Mr. Olmert’s protection, all residents of Wing 10 are to be vetted. | Mr. Olmert will be held in Wing 10 of Maasiyahu Prison, a section that many Israelis refer to as the V.I.P. wing. The Israeli Prison Service said that renovations of the wing had been completed in recent days and that four other prisoners had already been transferred there. For Mr. Olmert’s protection, all residents of Wing 10 are to be vetted. |
| Several people who have been convicted in the Holyland case are expected to join him there. | Several people who have been convicted in the Holyland case are expected to join him there. |
| The wing has six cells, each with three beds, a shower and toilet, a cupboard, a table and chairs, and a television set. It also has its own library, yard and dining room, as well as telephones in the corridor. | The wing has six cells, each with three beds, a shower and toilet, a cupboard, a table and chairs, and a television set. It also has its own library, yard and dining room, as well as telephones in the corridor. |
| Shlomo Benizri, a former minister of health and social welfare minister who was released from prison in 2012 after serving about two and a half years for charges that included accepting bribes, offered Mr. Olmert some advice about how to get by in prison. | Shlomo Benizri, a former minister of health and social welfare minister who was released from prison in 2012 after serving about two and a half years for charges that included accepting bribes, offered Mr. Olmert some advice about how to get by in prison. |
| “When you are there, it’s ‘My name is Ehud Olmert, I’m not the prime minister, not the mayor, not a minister, nothing,’ ” Mr. Benizri said. He warned Mr. Olmert not to patronize the guards, who he said were “not sentimental about ministers.” | “When you are there, it’s ‘My name is Ehud Olmert, I’m not the prime minister, not the mayor, not a minister, nothing,’ ” Mr. Benizri said. He warned Mr. Olmert not to patronize the guards, who he said were “not sentimental about ministers.” |
| Mr. Olmert, whose sentence can be reduced by one-third for good behavior, should keep things in perspective, Mr. Benizri added. | Mr. Olmert, whose sentence can be reduced by one-third for good behavior, should keep things in perspective, Mr. Benizri added. |
| “It passes. After a quarter of the time, he will get furlough,” he said, noting that Mr. Olmert has a supportive family. “There are people without families, they don’t even have someone to call.” | |
| He added, “By the way, he can use the phone all day there.” | He added, “By the way, he can use the phone all day there.” |