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| Israel-Palestine |
| Charges Reportedly Urged Against Sharon |
| 2004-03-28 |
| JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel's state prosecutor has recommended charges against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for allegedly taking bribes from a local businessman, Israel's Channel Two TV reported Saturday. The station said prosecutor Edna Arbel would present a draft charge sheet to Attorney General Meni Mazuz, who would then decide if prosecution was warranted. The report said his decision would probably be released in about a month. Justice ministry officials could not be reached Saturday night and an aide to Sharon refused to comment. The focus of the scandal is the so-called "Greek Island Affair," in which businessman David Appel allegedly paid Sharon's son Gilad large sums of money so Sharon, then foreign minister, would use his influence to help Appel promote a tourism project in Greece in 1999. On Jan. 21, Appel, an activist in Sharon's Likud Party, was charged with bribing the Israeli leader with $690,000 to push the idea and to help rezone urban land near Tel Aviv before and during Sharon's term as prime minister. Neither project came to pass. Appel's lawyer, Moshe Israel, denied the charges. If indicted, legal precedent says Sharon would have to suspend himself from office until the end of proceedings. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #9 and Bibi would have to reestablish his cojones every time there's a boomer, so no letup in the WOT |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-03-28 12:53:23 PM |
| #8 If Israel loses Sharon now, Israel loses! It's not a done deal, yet. If Sharon does resign, the most likely successor, assuming no new elections are called, will be Netanyahu. Hamas, Hezbollah and Al Aqsa would much rather prefer to listen to Jerry Falwell preach about the saving grace of Jesus Christ, than to have Netanyahu run the show. Not that he is a miltary fella, but he is a free marketer, a business conservative who could well come up with the ultimate trump card to the Islamist's favorite fantasy of an Islamic socialist state. |
| Posted by: badanov 2004-03-28 12:10:29 PM |
| #7 Oh, and can we get the Lib Dims to promise that they'll move to France when Lurch doesn't win, too? That would be great, thanks! |
| Posted by: Jen 2004-03-28 7:15:59 AM |
| #6 You wish, Auntie! While you'll be ducking and covering, waiting for the next terror attack... Kerry ain't gonna win and I'm not that fond of the tropics. Viva Bush! |
| Posted by: Jen 2004-03-28 7:11:45 AM |
| #5 Jen, enjoy your life in Costa Rica. |
| Posted by: Antiwar 2004-03-28 6:37:37 AM |
| #4 From all that I can see, Sharon has been one of Israel's greatest PMs, among many outstanding ones. But he has provided invaluable leadership at one of the most crucial times in Israel's history. He is to Israel what President Bush is to America. Both have their political enemies who would manufacture a scandal to bring them down. If this should happen, Bibi Netanyahu will be waiting. Whereas if Lurch unseats Bush, I'm moving to Costa Rica! |
| Posted by: Jen 2004-03-28 5:59:12 AM |
| #3 The Left will go into a frenzy over this. Not realizing they he will be likely replaced by someone more hawkish. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2004-03-28 5:48:34 AM |
| #2 I disagree. Sharon isn't irreplaceable. There are plenty of Likud party members that would have no problem picking up the cudgel. If there's something to these charges, it might be better to lose him. You don't want the message being confused with the messenger. |
| Posted by: Scott 2004-03-28 5:40:30 AM |
| #1 If Israel loses Sharon now, Israel loses! |
| Posted by: odin 2004-03-28 3:18:16 AM |