Posted on 07/11/2004 6:40:45 AM PDT by nuconvert
Sharon Fires Cabinet Member Who Allegedly Planned to Frame Fellow Minister
The Associated Press
JERUSALEM (AP) - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Sunday fired an Israeli Cabinet minister who was taped discussing plans to frame a fellow minister for influence-peddling. The firing has thrown the Shinui Party, a member of Sharon's coalition, into turmoil. The centrist party has been a key backer of Sharon's plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip this year, despite opposition among hard-liners that has cost Sharon his parliamentary majority.
Partizky's firing takes effect on Tuesday. The scandal was not expected to affect the withdrawal plan.
Dramatic two-year-old tapes were broadcast last week on Israel TV. In the recordings, Cabinet minister Joseph Paritzky is heard detailing his plans to frame fellow Shinui Party member and Cabinet minister Avraham Poraz.
Paritzky allegedly planned to hire a private detective to pose as a lobbyist for the used-car industry and propose a deal to promote the lobby's interests.
At the time, both Paritzky and Poraz were lawmakers.
After the tapes were aired, Paritzky issued an apology on live TV. Paritzky has said he made the comments to a friend and that he never acted on the threats.
The apology did little to calm an uproar in Shinui, which was elected on a platform that attacked corrupt politicians.
Paritzky had rejected calls from within Shinui to resign his posts in the party, parliament and Cabinet.
Shinui party leader Joseph Lapid, the Israeli justice minister, had asked Sharon to fire Paritzky.
The dismissal won't have an immediate impact on Sharon's shaky coalition. Another member of the Shinui Party is expected to replace Paritzky as national infrastructure minister.
But it threatens to hurt Shinui, which secured a huge political victory in the last general elections by attacking corruption and the disproportionate political power of parties representing ultra-Orthodox Jews.
Apparently James (the snake) Carville spread the evil dum tactics to Israel while he was there.
"Apparently James (the snake) Carville spread the evil dum tactics to Israel while he was there."
No kidding, Jennifer Flowers has been the only one that got a liberal on tape exposed.
Yeah and look what the media did to her. Interesting how Sharon's boys are to smart for the Evil dum wannabes in Israel.
whatever happened to poraz?
What happened to Poraz? I think he's still Minister of the Interior.
This being a guy that votes on Sharons side of the fence, it musta really hurt. Last vote of no confidence on Sharon as Prime Minister was 56-56. Now...
Sharon is in a pot of hot water and the temp just went up.
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