Succession of scandals leaves Olmert fighting to stay in power

The Tel Aviv daily newspaper Maariv ran a cartoon this week showing a man sitting at his kitchen table with a cup of coffee and a newspaper. The headlines read "sexual harassment", "murder", "road accidents" and "violence". The man sighs: "It's so good to get back to normal."

The cartoonist might well have added "financial shenanigans" and "political cronyism", such is the list of brewing controversies afflicting the Israeli government as it emerges bruised from the damaging Lebanon war.

An opinion poll in the mass-circulation Yediot Ahronot yesterday registered a dramatic collapse of confidence in Ehud Olmert, the Prime Minister, whose authority - along with that of his Defence Minister, Amir Peretz, and the army brass - appears to have been severely weakened by an unpopular conflict.

Asked how they rated Mr Olmert's performance during the war, 74 per cent said it had not been good. Mr Peretz fared worse, with 79 per cent, while Lt-Gen Dan Halutz, the Chief of Staff, rated 63 per cent. If elections were held now, the Prime Minister's Kadima Party would slump to 17 seats, down 12 since the March general election.

Mr Peretz's Labour Party (down eight) would drop to 11, the historic ruling party's lowest-ever representation. The right-wing Likud would top the poll with 20 seats. Binyamin Netanyahu, its leader, is the new favourite for prime minister, scoring 45 per cent to Mr Olmert's 24 in a straight contest.

The slump in support is the price that ministers and generals are forced to pay for a citizens' army. Too many reservists and conscripts are coming home and airing the grievances of patriotic soldiers who went willingly to war and feel let down.

But the Maariv cartoonist had a point. The media, which ran page after page, hour after hour, of war news for a month, is now awash with the latest scandals.

Detectives this week interviewed President Moshe Katsav for 12 hours after a former employee accused him of forcing her to have sex with him. They promise to come back with more questions after the 60-year-old father of five children has taken a family holiday.

Micha Lindenstrauss, the state comptroller, is investigating allegations that Mr Olmert received a $500,000 (£265,000) discount from the builder who sold him a flat in Jerusalem. In return, Mr Olmert is said to have used his contacts to persuade the planning authorities to double the amount of floorspace he could develop on the site.

Two other senior politicians, Haim Ramon and Tzahi Hanegbi, have already been indicted. Mr Ramon, a flamboyant divorcé, resigned as justice minister to face trial on charges of indecently assaulting a woman soldier.

Mr Hanegbi, a former internal security minister, is accused of appointing 80 Likud cronies to government jobs at a time when he needed their support to keep his parliamentary seat.

Lt-Gen Halutz seems to have weathered the storm over the revelation that he sold his entire stock portfolio, worth 120,000 shekels (£14,500), three hours after the Hizbollah raid that precipitated the Lebanon war - if only because the public are more worried about his failure to destroy Hizbollah.

Israel has a robust, highly competitive media culture. Newspapers and television channels pay for tips; they invest in investigations.

Sex, even adultery, is not regarded as a sin in itself. The media is less likely than its British counterpart to run a story about a public figure sleeping around.

What does stir the law and the media is sexual coercion, especially of subordinates by their bosses in the army or politics. Feminists have won that battle, though men such as Messrs Katsav and Ramon may not have noticed. At the same time, social gaps have widened. Money is status. Ezer Weizman, the previous president, allowed rich men to buy his friendship. Ariel Sharon and his sons were tempted by property developers. So, it is claimed, was Ehud Olmert, though the case has yet to be proven and he has shown himself to be a skilful enough lawyer to avoid disgrace after similar allegations in the past.

Politicians under pressure

* EHUD OLMERT The approval rating of the Israeli Prime Minister has plummeted over the war with Hizbollah in Lebanon. His opponents are using his lack of military credentials against him. He also faces an investigation into a Jerusalem property deal.

* MOSHE KATSAV

The Israeli President is caught up in a sex scandal after detectives raided his house earlier this week over allegations he sexually assaulted a former employee. The raid sent shockwaves through Israel as police questioned the country's president for 12 hours following the raid. No charges have been brought against Moshe Katsav and he has denied the allegations, calling them "absurd." But commentators warn he will almost certainly have to resign if police do eventually charge him.

* DAN HALUTZ

Despite the sale of his £14,500 stock portfolio three hours after the Hizbollah raid that sparked the latest crisis, Israeli anger at Lt-Gen Halutz is focused on his handling of the war. There are calls for him to resign.

* AMIR PERETZ

The Labour Party leader and Defence Minister has been heavily criticised by the media and military for not allowing the Israeli armed forces to deal Hizbollah a fatal blow. Even his own party faithful are turning against him.

* HAIM RAMON

The former leading member of the Labour Party who defected to Kadima resigned as justice minister this week after being indicted for allegedly forcing a kiss on a woman soldier. He has waived parliamentary immunity.

* TZAHI HANEGBI

The former protégé of Ariel Sharon, and an ally of Ehud Olmert, is facing allegations of election bribery, fraud and perjury. He is accused of trading government jobs for political support. Says he will not seek immunity.