MKs urge ruling on case before elections

By GIL STERN STERN HOFFMAN, JPOST STAFF
Politicians from across the political spectrum were quick to respond to the report regarding mounting evidence against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in the Kern affair. Labor General Secretary Eitan Cabel described the report as "very grave". According to the Cabel, "It testifies directly on how corrupt Sharon is. Legal authorities must act now reveal to the public any possible details because during an election period, the public must know now who they are voting for." On Wednesday, Eliezer Sandberg called on Sharon to give the public his version of the kern affair before elections. "It wouldn't cross your mind that the prime minister who would fire a minister during the primaries for a scandal involving thousands of shekels wouldn't give the public details about an affair involving millions that he's suspected in, right before elections. Shinui Chairman Yosef Lapid said, "The attorney general should decide before the elections if he intends to indict Sharon because if so he cannot run for premier. If police findings are solid and Sharon and his family indeed accepted the bribe, there would be a sharp turnover in the elections and everything would have to be recalculated." MK Arieh Eldad (National Union) said, "The people of Israel are knowingly taking in a crime family to rule it. This is only the last of a series of corruption-related issues involving the Sharon family." MK Haim Oron (Meretz-Yahad) called on the police to complete the investigation before the election. "Kadima's corruption knows no boundaries," he said. Labor MK Ophir Paz-Pines called on Attorney-General Menachem Mazuz to decide before the election whether he intends to indict Sharon. "This will cause a political earthquake in Israel," Paz-Pines said. "Israel politics have hit a new low if the prime minister accepted bribes." Tafnit Party chairman Uzi Dayan said that "if Sharon intends to remain silent, he should drop his candidacy." Labor public relations team chair MK Yuli Tamir agreed and said that "the time has come to stop the deterioration of ethical norms in Israel."