A Daily Analysis
By Marc Schulman
Aug 2, 2009 Police Recommend That Lieberman Be Charged
The police have finally recommended that Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman be indicted for a long list of corruption charges. The investigations have continued on and off for nine years, with a new intensive round of investigations taking place over the last year. In the ever “speedy” Israeli justice system, the recommendations to prosecute have now been turned over to the State Attorney General, who has to decide whether to go ahead. The next stage of investigations is expected to take three months. Then it is expected to take up to another two months for Lieberman to appeal that decision. That leaves Israel with a Foreign Minister who the police have now recommended indicting by December. I guess in Israel they have not yet heard of the adage "Justice Delayed is Justice Denied". Of course, in this case, the defendant would like to delay the judgement as long as possible. This past week when all of the many figures of the American government were visiting Israel, Lieberman was in South America, working to improve Israel’s ties there. This month Lieberman is off to Africa.
Last night, violence struck in Tel Aviv, when a gunmen opened fire in a gay teen support group, killing two people. The attack was widely condemned and met with serious disbelief that such a thing could happen in Tel Aviv. At the moment there no suspects.
The Palestinian Fatah organization is holding its first conference in 20 years. Yassir Arafat did not want to hold a conference, preferring to keep his old functionaries in power. This first meeting in which representatives from all parts of the world have arrived in Bethlehem, with Israel’s blessing, is considered historic by many observers. What will be accomplished at the conference is not clear. However, the conference will bestow an additional level of legitimacy to Abu Mazen.
