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Ariel Sharon's Watergate?

18:06 / 27.03.04

This just in: Report: Prosecutors recommend charging Sharon; Accusations of bribery have dogged Israeli leader

"An Israeli television network reported Saturday that prosecutors have decided to recommend indicting Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon over a bribery scandal involving a real estate developer."

"If Sharon is indicted, Israeli case law indicates he would have to suspend himself from office while the matter was resolved."

Sounds like they want him out of office at long last...Maybe if it does happen, he can then be tried for war crimes as he so richly deserves.

18:14 / 27.03.04

Don't hold your breath. The Israeli Government is still highly protective of it's citizens.....no matter how badly they have behaved. It is rare that they are brought to task and even moreso by a foreign power.

I can understand their distrust of other races/ nationalities from their unfortunate treatment in the past but their 'loyalty' and un-accountability is half the reason why they are themselves viewed with such distrust.

Sharron might get a minor knuckle rap from his own legal system but because of the rest of the worlds' fear about upsetting Israel and the untouchability (you criticise an Israeli even justifiably and you are labelled an 'anti-semite') of it's citizens outside of it's borders......don't hold your breath.

18:15 / 27.03.04

Then again Berlusconi in Italy is just as bad. Money can buy you freedom to a great extent.

20:02 / 27.03.04

"It is rare that they are brought to task and even moreso by a foreign power...but because of the rest of the worlds' fear about upsetting Israel and the untouchability...of it's citizens outside of it's borders......don't hold your breath "

But what does this have to do with foreigners?

They've already convicted someone of bribing Sharon, it's not a far legal leap to prove Sharon accepted the bribes and convict him for it...

03:28 / 28.03.04

Well he's already been convicted of war crimes by an international tribunal, and not enough Israeli voters seem to mind about that, so I can't really see this making much difference.

Still, fingers crossed...

06:27 / 28.03.04

Convicted of War Crimes by an international tribunal? When? Could you provided some references for that as I don't remember than happening, he certainly hasn't been convicted by the ICC which as far as I know is the only body that could theoretically have done so.

But yes I hope the corrupt bastard goes down and does time for this, Nixon is exactly the right comparison I think, he gives me the same kind of vibe as when I watch archive footage of Nixon.

07:06 / 28.03.04

Hi Baz

Sorry I didn't articulate well

I cannot see the Israeli's doing anything to Sharon as he is rich and popular with enough people and from past experience he is like Teflon. At best, he will leave office with a 'health scare' and spend his retirement in luxury (This is also how I think Tony Blair will leave office, to save face.......he will then take up numerous positions and make oodles of money speaking to US companies)

and I meant that when it comes to outside condemnation, Israel does not give a fug about the rest of the world.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

08:46 / 28.03.04

I don't think he was convicted, but there was definitely a case, way before he was head honcho...

Check it out

16:32 / 28.03.04

The momentum is starting to build:

Prosecutor recommends indicting Sharon, Israeli leader embroiled in bribery scandal

"JERUSALEM (CNN)--Israel's chief prosecutor on Sunday reommended indicting Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for allegedly taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes when he was foreign minister."

Now if memory serves me correctly, this story originally started to break in the Fall of 2000, when Sharon was running for office. But the story got shelved after his Sept. 2000 appearance at the Wailing Wall, which "neccessitated" a huge security detail and the subsequent barring of Muslims from the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa mosque for "security reasons". The Palestinian outrage at the appearance of this war criminal and his "security precautions" led to a brutal Israeli crackdown, sparking off the recent Intifadah. That in turn played right into Sharon's hands (as he tried to portray himself as "the law and order leader"), leading to the current mess in Israel/Palestine.

Hopefully karma will kick his ass this time around.

16:54 / 28.03.04

it's going to have to be some Karma to kick that lard ass around!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

05:47 / 02.04.04

I've heard that Sharon has a reputation for surviving scandal, but that these are the most serious charges ever faced by an Israeli PM and so might end his political career anyway.

Now, what I want to know is: if he does go down, would his replacement be just as hardline or are chances that the coalition behind Sharon wouldn't outlast him?

06:03 / 02.04.04

In the event of Sharon resigning (something that I still think unlikely at this stage) the most likely candidate to replace him is former Israli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

02:38 / 21.04.04

Son of Sharon admits to destroying evidence

The son of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon testified today that he destroyed potentially incriminating tapes relating to two corruption investigations, including one that targets the prime minister, Israel's Channel Two TV reported.

Testifying for the first time on the issue, Gilad Sharon — who has waged an eight-month legal battle to keep from handing over the material — said he had destroyed the tapes, the TV reported. After Israel's Supreme Court ordered him to turn over the documents last month, his lawyers said he would comply, but it might take time because much of the material was in the hands of others.

But now, after failing to comply, Gilad told the court he had destroyed the tapes of his deal with real estate developer David Appel shortly after the deal was done, because he no longer needed them.

Our Lady Has Left the Building

11:41 / 21.04.04

So the son will get some piddling fine for contempt of court to save his Dad? Sweet. Is the Sharon family extremely well off?