Ariel Sharon, Israel’s Prime Minister, escaped corruption charges this week after the attorney general decided there was not enough evidence against him.
Sharon and his son, Gilad, were accused of helping Israeli entrepreneur David Appel to promote a plan to develop a holiday resort on a Greek island, in return for payments for political campaigns and the family’s farm.
Appel has been charged with trying to bribe the Sharons but Menachem Mazuz, the attorney general, decided they did not know they were being offered bribes despite accepting more than £300 000.
Mazuz’s predecessor, the acting attorney general, had recommended that the Sharons should be tried, but the final decision was left to the incoming attorney general.
Commentators said Mazuz had failed to mention that some of the most senior legal figures in Israel had recommended that the Sharons be tried.
The attorney general made it known several months ago that he did not intend to prosecute the Sharons over what has become known as the ”Greek Island affair”, in which Gilad was taken on as a marketing director for the project despite having no experience in the field. He was promised £1,8-million for his work but was finally paid £380 000.
His work coincided with his father’s tenure as foreign minister, during which he organised opportunities for Appel to present his case to Greek politicians. Appel has been charged with offering bribes but his lawyers expect the charges to be dropped now that the Sharons have escaped indictment.
Mazuz said the prime minister was subject to the same system of justice as any other Israeli citizen. Regarding Gilad he said: ”There is no evidentiary basis to suspect that Gilad was involved in fictitious business dealings.”
Mazuz is expected to publish a detailed report on his decision, which will criticise the conduct of the prime minister and his son. But his exoneration of Sharon removes a question mark over the prime minister’s authority and clears the way for the Labour Party to join him in government to push through the evacuation of the Gaza Strip.
Tommy Lapid, Minister of Justice and head of the Shinui Party, which is part of Sharon’s coalition, said that Labour should join the government.
Before the announcement Minister of Defence Shaul Mofaz told the Israeli paper Ma’ariv that he had instructed the military administrators of the West Bank to prepare plans for a construction programme in settlement blocks that Israel intends to keep.
The road map peace plan, announced last year, calls for a freeze on all settlement activity — but Israel has not stopped construction.
Maaleh Adumim, a settlement next to Jerusalem, is being doubled in size and Mofaz’s orders are expected to have a similar effect on Ariel and the Etzion blocks, south of Jerusalem.
The United States embassy said this week it was in talks with Israel on settlement activity. — Â