Posted on 03/09/2004 12:02:18 AM PST by BlackVeil
Almost half the public – 47%, believe Prime Minister Ariel Sharon knew Shimon Cohen was Tennenbaum’s father in law, despite the premier’s vociferous denials. 42% think Sharon should quit, a poll conducted by Maariv on Wednesday shows.
Only 26% believe Sharon is telling the truth when he says he did not know of the connection between his former business partner, Cohen, and Tennenbaum when he pressed for the POW exchange deal. 27% of those polled said they do not know, or refused to answer the question.
The poll also shows that 42% of Israelis think Sharon’s connections with Tennenbaum’s family affected his decision to carry out the prisoner swap. In contrast, 41% believe this knowledge did not affect Sharon’s decision. 42% said Sharon should quit, if in fact he did have connections with the Tennenbaums, while 43% think he should not quit.
The poll is based on a representative sample of 530 Israelis and has an approximate 4% margin of error.
Pertinent considerations
Sharon devoted a lot of time on Wednesday to thwarting the stormy reactions and attacks following Maariv’s report and set a precedent by giving interviews to the three television channels. His message was clear: I did not know of the connection between Shimon Cohen and Elhanan Tennenbaum.
“Is it conceivable that in such a sensitive matter, of supreme national import, I would do something against the national interest because of some other consideration? I would never do such a thing”, Sharon said on Channel 2.
“All my considerations were pertinent”, he said. “I always believed – and do so now – that Israeli citizens should not be left in the hands of Arab states, certainly not in the hands of a terrorist organization, and certainly not in the hands of the Hezbollah. We must bring them home, and do whatever needs to be done here”, he said.
At mid-day Wednesday Sharon addressed a large battery of journalists and television cameras that were waiting for him in the corridor to his bureau. The prime minister looked tense and pale when he said, “I did no know of the former family connections of Mr. Shimon Cohen, whom I have not seen or spoken two for decades. I did not know of his family relations. I don’t even know today how many sons-in-law and daughters-in-law he had”.
Sharon said the attack against him was “a wild assault the like of which I have never seen”.
“I sought to bring our people back from the Hezbollah prison”, he added. “Tennenbaum is being interrogated and will be interrogated. If he is found to be guilty he will be punished here in Israel, not in Hezbollah territory. My considerations were made in a pertinent manner with no ulterior motives, period”.
2004-03-04
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