Former Israeli premier urges world leaders to shun Netanyahu

By JOSEF FEDERMAN and AMI BENTOV
Associated Press

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel’s former prime minister is urging world leaders to shun Israel’s current prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as he presses ahead with a plan to overhaul Israel’s justice system. The appeal from Ehud Olmert on Thursday came as two of Israel’s closest allies, the United States and Germany, called on Netanyahu to slow down. The rare calls for restraint and international intervention came as thousands of Israelis once again took to the streets to protest Netanyahu’s plan. Olmert served as prime minister from 2006-2009. He told The Associated Press that he understood his calls for leaders not to meet with Netanyahu seemed extraordinary. But he said Netanyahu’s far-right coalition is “simply anti-Israeli.”