Simantov denied spitting on Olmert, and told investigators he only swore at him. He claimed that he had been at the cinematheque to see a movie but couldn\u2019t say which one, according to Hebrew media.<\/p>\n
The police reportedly said that they were called after Olmert\u2019s security guards intervened.<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\tBy signing up, you agree to the terms<\/a><\/p>\n They noted that Simantov has a criminal record.<\/p>\n Speaking to Ynet, Olmert said, \u201cI\u2019m glad he was arrested. This is a group of thugs trying to scare anyone who dares to talk about the government and its leaders as they should be talked about.\u201d<\/p>\n \t \u201cI wasn\u2019t impacted by the attempted assault and spitting, but it\u2019s good that the police are treating this seriously,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n The judge ruled that although there is reasonable suspicion that the offense took place, continued detention was not justified. The judge ordered Simantov to be released under restrictive conditions, including a ban on contacting Olmert.<\/p>\n Olmert served as premier from 2006 to 2009 and was convicted of bribery and other crimes in several cases.<\/p>\n He has also been severely critical of the policies of successive governments headed by Netanyahu.<\/p>\n In March, the former premier urged The Hague to prosecute violent settlers who are \u201cassisted, supported and inspired by government circles\u201d as they seek to clear Palestinians from areas in the West Bank with attacks reminiscent of those \u201conce directed against Jews in Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n
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