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Topic: Israeli government racked by scandal
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josh
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2938
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posted 28 August 2006 12:26 PM
quote:
Four political allies of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert received key jobs in a state-funded agency linked to a government ministry he headed in 2004, Israel's top government watchdog said Monday.The report has been handed to the attorney general to determine whether criminal charges should be filed, said Zvi Vertikovsky, deputy director general in the State Comptroller's office.
At issue are appointments of four members of the Likud Party's Central Committee to the Small Business Administration, an agency that received government funding and was linked to the Trade and Industry Ministry. The ministry was headed at the time by Olmert, then a senior Likud member. The comptroller said he found "serious defects" in the hiring process.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/28/AR2006082800374.html
From: the twilight zone between the U.S. and Canada | Registered: Aug 2002
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josh
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2938
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posted 28 August 2006 12:46 PM
At this time. But the extreme right (as opposed to the moderate right in power) does not have the votes to bring down the government, which theoretically could last another three and-a-half years. Also, it was Netanyahoo's neo-liberal economic policies that nearly wiped out Likud in the last elections. The more the Lebanon II war fades from view, the more that will come into focus.In any event, when it comes to external policy, there's little separating Netanyahoo and the other Jewish parties, save for Meretz/Yachad. However, I do find Netanyahoo the most obnoxious and grating of the Zionist leaders. So, for that reason alone, I would not want to see him back. But until Israel turns away from occupation, colonization, repression and corruption, whoever's prime minister won't make a difference. Actually, a Netanyahoo, Lieberman, NRU/NRP religious/fascist coalition would isolate Israel even further, and might finally break the stranglehold Israel has over U.S. foreign policy.
From: the twilight zone between the U.S. and Canada | Registered: Aug 2002
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josh
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2938
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posted 30 August 2006 06:48 AM
The number of Israelis living in poverty is another scandal. And a direct result of the economic policy instituted when Netanyahoo was finance minister: quote:
The poverty rate in Israel continued to climb in 2005, with another 47,000 Israelis, half of them children, being classed as poor, according to an annual National Insurance Institute report released Wednesday. By the end of 2005, there were 1.63 million people living below the poverty line in Israel, including 410,000 families and 768,000 children. The overall figure represents roughly a quarter of the population.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/756663.html
From: the twilight zone between the U.S. and Canada | Registered: Aug 2002
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josh
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2938
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posted 31 August 2006 06:09 AM
quote:
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is suspected of furthering interests worth millions for associates of his close friend, attorney Uri Messer, while serving as minister of of industry and trade, according to a Haaretz investigation. In all the cases examined, then trade minister Olmert participated in meetings that involved entrepreneurs and attorney Messer, on the one hand, and officials of the Ministry of Industry and Trade on the other. Notwithstanding the regulations regarding possible conflict of interests, Olmert did not recuse himself from discussions on requests to further business interests of associates of his close friend, Messer, who is also the prime minister's personal attorney.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/756809.html
From: the twilight zone between the U.S. and Canada | Registered: Aug 2002
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