Maybe, there is a God!
How else can you account for the fact that Ariel Sharon might lose the January 28th election? He might even go to jail, or at least pay a fine, if the state can prove its case against him for electoral hanky panky.
The Israeli Prime Minister is finally on the ropes. And, it’s not for his invasion of Lebanon in 1982, and the carnage and death that left in its wake. He’s under a fierce attack. And, it has nothing to do with his sordid part in the slaughter of 69 innocent civilians at the Arab village of Qibya in 1953. It’s the tenth round of a slugfest and he is wearing out fast. And, it’s not because the World Court has called him to account for his supporting role in the massacre at Sabra and Shatila, the sacking of Jenin, or for running his death squads in the West Bank and Gaza.
No! It’s the local Israeli prosecutor, Elyakim Rubinstein, who is doing the pounding away at the old sheep farmer, Sharon. Rubinstein is going for his jugular. It’s all because of an election fundraising brouhaha – a measly $1.5 million loan – supposedly transferred from a South African business man, to Israel, to pay off the campaign debts of Sharon. You see: Foreign campaign contributions are illegal in Israel.
Talk about being brought down by the absurd. And, of course, those troublemaking sons of Sharon; Omri and Gilad. didn’t help his cause either. Both of their names appear on the disputed bank account, according to published reports. Omri Sharon is also involved in an alleged vote buying scheme in last November’s primary election. Well, the fruit never falls far from the tree, does it?
If Sharon needed an election loan, then why didn’t he ask his Zionist cronies in America for it? They know how to manipulate those election financing laws and would have jumped at the opportunity to help out their favorite war hawk. They are masters at setting up Political Action Committees (PAC). They could have easily created a PAC just for him. They could have called it, “The Sheriff John Wayne Fund,” to spotlight his tough guy, hang-them-high, Law-&-Order image.
Remember, too, how the relatives of Presidents Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and Richard Nixon kept on getting them in hot water? Seems like even the Israeli politicians aren’t immune to that one. I hope Hollywood does a movie about Sharon and his electoral predicament. They could call it-“Chutzpahgate.” Nicholas Gage, who did a virtuoso performance in the flick “Adaptation,” playing the dual role of the twin Kaufman brothers, could easily do Omri and Gilad Sharon. This would also save money on the casting. As for the part of Sharon, I would suggest veteran character actor Brian Denehy. He’s chesty, gruff, and he also looks the part. For the prosecutor, I think Dustin Hoffman would be righteous enough.
Sharon insisted he had done nothing wrong and bellowed, “Whoever is disseminating this libel has one single aim – to bring down the prime minister.” He’s right. A lot of folks do want to bring him down. But, the “libel” part is just hot air coming from a desperate man looking to scare the truth seekers away. Now, Sharon’s credibility is a little weak at the moment. He is the same windbag that had just sworn that Saddam Hussein had shifted his WMD to Syria. Even our clueless leader in the White House, George W. Bush Jr., didn’t go for that one. And don’t forget, Bush had previously labeled Sharon, “A Man of Peace.”
Funny, too, how the Israeli blowhards hold Chairman Yasser Arafat to the highest (read impossible) standards of conduct. Sharon’s Foreign Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, a/k/a “Bend-the-Truth Yahoo,” comes to mind. No matter what action Arafat takes to stop the suicide bombings, Netanyahu blames him for it. So, if we used Netanyahu’s absolute liability standards of responsibility, with respect to accusations against Sharon, then we’d have to say that Sharon is guilty of the charges! Although, it would serve him right on a karmic level, we prefer to play by the rules and await a decision by the appropriate judicial authority.
Sharon’s opponent in the coming election, Amram Mitzna, has been hitting the campaign trail mocking the prime minister as “The Godfather.” His strategy is working. The polls show Mitzna’s Labor Party is almost even with Likud. A month ago, the incumbent had a clear majority, despite the mayhem he has created with his “Iron Fist” colonial policy. Even if Likud wins the election, Mitzna could still work out a deal with the minor parties in Israel and form a ruling government with the needed 61 seats.
“This is a despicable political plot,” Sharon screamed, “which I will disprove with documents and facts.” His critics sharply disagree. They say its just political dirty dealings, fraud, bribery, vote-buying, breach of trust, and corruption, that have finally coming to the surface of the body politics in Zionist Israel. We’ll see soon enough who right.
Chutzpahgate! It couldn’t have happened at a better time. Maybe, God has a sense of humor, too. In any event, if Sharon does falls from power, score one for humanity.
WILLIAM HUGHES is the author of “Baltimore Iconoclast” (Writer’s Showcase), which is available online. He can be reached at liamhughes@mindspring.com.
© WILLIAM HUGHES 2002
