Is Israel's Olmert finished?

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is one of the Middle East's great political survivors.

He has been buffeted by controversy and near-ceaseless calls for his resignation. His approval ratings have at times sunk into the single digits. He was castigated for bungling Israel's 2006 war against Hezbollah. And yet he still stands.

One of the biggest reasons is that no other Israeli leader has the current clout to topple Olmert.

But this weekend has brought new rumblings that Olmert's political career might be coming to an end.

The rumor mill went into high gear on Thursday when Israeli police announced that they were planning to immediately question Olmert about an unknown investigation.

On Friday, Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper carried a story with the headline: "Suspicion: Cash bribe from an American businessman."

The story bluntly stated that, before he became prime minister, Olmert had received cash bribes from an American businessman who is cooperating with investigators.

Israeli courts imposed an immediate gag order on the case, a move that has prevented any more significant details from seeping out.

On Sunday, Olmert reportedly called the rumors "wicked and malicious" and suggested that he would be exonerated when the facts come out.

Until then, Olmert vowed to soldier on.

The rumors and questioning have generated a new round of doom-saying and predictions that Olmert would be quickly forced from office.

Israel's attorney general made it clear that there has so far been no talk of forcing Olmert from office.

And Olmert isn't likely to leave without a fight.

Olmert's tenure has been clouded by at least three investigations, including one suggestion that he got a sweetheart deal on a house in Jerusalem in exchange for helping a businessman.

But none of the investigations have led to charges. And investigators have said there isn't enough evidence to charge Olmert in a fourth investigation.

Olmert also faced significant calls for his resignation after a special committee lashed out at Olmert and his government last year for failures during the 2006 war against Hezbollah.

There were front-page calls for Olmert to step aside. Members of his own party said he should go. Lawmakers in his coalition joined opposition leaders in urging Olmert to resign.

And yet he managed to hang on.

Now the ominous whispers are once again sweeping from Israel to Washington.

Once the gag order is lifted it may become more clear just how serious things are for Olmert this go-round.

For the moment, expect Olmert to fight on.