The judge also fined him 1m shekels ($289,000) and ordered that 560,000 shekels in assets be seized.

 

Olmert's lawyers said he was innocent and would appeal. If he is unsuccessful he will become the first former head of government in Israel to be jailed.

 

The 68-year-old was convicted in March over a real estate deal that took place while he served as mayor of Jerusalem. 

 

The Tel Aviv District Court found he had accepted a 500,000-shekel ($145,000) bribe¹ from the developers of a controversial apartment complex, known as Holyland, for which planning and zoning laws were changed, and another 60,000 shekels for a separate project.

 

Ten other government officials and businesspeople were convicted alongside Olmert. The sentences handed down on Tuesday against six of them ranged from three to seven years.

 

 

Judge David Rozen said bribery offences "contaminate the public sector⁴" and "cause the structure of government to collapse⁵".

 

He added: "People who receive bribes⁶ give rise to a feeling of disgust and cause the public to despise the state's institutions. The taker of bribes is like a traitor⁷ who betrays the public trust that was given to him - trust without which a proper public service cannot be maintained."

 

The judge said Olmert had made a "large contribution to the country". 

 

But he described his offences as "noxious⁸" and said he was guilty of "moral turpitude⁹", which under Israeli law would preclude¹⁰ him from running for public office for seven years after finishing his jail term.

 

Olmert reportedly stood quietly in the courtroom with his head bowed. His lawyers had sought a non-custodial sentence.

 

The judge told him to report to prison on 1 September, effectively giving his lawyers time to lodge¹¹ their planned appeal.

 

"He did not take a bribe. He did not receive a bribe. He sees himself as innocent, and it is with those feelings that he will be going to the Supreme¹² Court to appeal," Olmert's lawyer, Eli Zohar, told reporters.

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