Sharon is finished

Back to Opinions Page

In its current state, Israel needs a prime minister whose head is clear and hands are clean. Whether or not charges are filed, Sharon is finished.

The Prime Minister has "threatened" that if the National Union and National Religious Party resign from the government after he returns from his trip to Washington and presents his disengagement plan for the governments approval, he will establish a new coalition that same day and not a moment later. Only someone who has an agreement, or at least an understanding, with Shimon Peres in his pocket could make a statement like that. According to information revealed in Maariv yesterday, Sharon apparently does have that agreement although it depends upon some conditions related to implementation of the disengagement. However, that account does not consider the boss. His name is Meny Mazuz. At his word, Sharon will rise or fall, without reference to either the disengagement plan or Peres and some of his Labor colleagues desire for a leather armchair at the government table, as soon as possible.

Until the attorney general makes his decision about filing charges against Sharon, it would be insane to join the government. What happens once he decides (the sooner, the better) depends on that decision. If he decides against indictment, Labor could join the government instead of the right-wing, despite the expected race to the High Court. If he decides to indict, Sharon will be forced to resign and there would be no disengagement and no withdrawal, the right-wing would stay in the government and the settlers would rejoice.

Conclusion: It is unlikely that there is any good reason for Sharon, a half-lame duck, to meet with the US President and present a plan that may be erased from the public agenda, together with its author, in a few weeks. There is no doubt that, even with Bush's blessing, Sharon cannot bring his plan to the government before Mazuz announces his decision. Mazuz is now the boss. He sets the schedule and can determine the future of diplomatic processes in the region. Mazuz, and not Sharon. Mazuz, and not Bush.

Never has such a heavy file fallen on the head of an attorney general, However, despite his thin, delicate appearance, Menachem Mazuz can bear its weight on his shoulders, his acquaintances believe. People who know Mazuz are certain that the storm gathering around him since the state prosecutor's recommendation was leaked will not affect his decision, even though there were those who intended for the leak to have influence. He is independent, matter of fact, unafraid and will make a conclusive decision. He'll neither twist-and-turn like his predecessor nor will he issue a public report making Sharon stand in the corner with his back to the class. That is the way it will be, or not.

The problem is, even if the attorney general decides against indicting Sharon and the prime minster bears no legal responsibility in the case, he will still be stained, publicly and politically. Mazuzs decision, unlike that of Arbel and those who agree with her, will not be made because he is certain that Sharon is innocent in the Greek island affair but because he is not sufficiently convinced that there is a good chance of conviction.

Yes, it is true that every person, including the prime minster, is innocent until proven guilty. Yes, he would not be required to resign. Yes, even if he invented the disengagement plan in order to distract attention from the investigations, most of the public now supports that plan. However, they no longer trust the man himself, apparently because of the investigations. A bad feeling accompanies the move towards fatefully important processes when led by a prime minister who is enshrouded in a cloud of criminal suspicions, whose sons (with his silent consent) behave offensively and are threatened by two more investigations.