Details of how the Holyland real estate project, that may cause the jailing of former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, came to happen are coming to light:1993: The old Holyland Hotel in Jerusalem passes to the hands of Cherney who proposes to rebuild it.
1994: Ehud Olmert, the new major, pushes large building projects like the Begin Highway, the light rail, the Mamilla project and more.
1996: The Holyland project, approved by city engineer Uri Ben-Asher, was submitted to the local planning and construction committee, headed by deputy mayor Uri Lupolianski. The committee approved and submitted it to the district committee. So far, the project was essentially a tourism project – hotels and a number of housing units.
2000: The intifada broke out, and the forecasts regarding tourists expected, crumbled with the bus bombings. The project is delayed. Olmert sacked Ben-Asher and replaced him with Uri Sheetrit.
2001: The intifada became more virulent, killing Jerusalem tourism.
2002: Instead of a hotel complex that would remain empty because tourists were afraid to come to Jerusalem, Cherney proposed only one hotel and transformed the rest of the project into a housing complex. At first, Sheetrit was opposed to the change. Olmert banged on the table: the project would attract middle class families to strengthen the city. Sheetrit changed his mind and advocated the project in the planning committee, which in 2003 approved the project as is now.
2010 Lupoliansky and others involved in the project are jailed, Olmert is interrogated in a police facility. A judge (female) announces: "The largest corruption scandal in the history of Israel".
I am very familiar with the permitting process of this country and see no indications of corruption, just the regular meandering evolution that gives birth to results no one ever planned for or even imagined.
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