Lieberman: I'll resign if A-G indicts me

[Chris]

Lieberman: I'll resign if A-G indicts me
By JPOST.COM STAFF

Foreign Minister and Israel Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman said he would resign as minister and party chief if Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz decides to press charges against him, but does not see that happening in the near future. Speaking at the onset of an Israel Beiteinu faction meeting on Monday, taking place in the chambers of the Knesset Law Committee headed by party member MK David Rotem, Lieberman did not repeat the harsh accusations he had launched against police a day earlier following their recommendation to press charges against him. Lieberman had cited political interests as motivating the police investigation and its results on Sunday, but chose to maintain his claims of no misconduct on Monday, noting that his conscience was clear and he remained optimistic as to his political future.

"I'm happy that after great efforts and an appeal to the High Court of Justice, the investigation at least has reached its conclusion, and I hope the State Attorney's Office will supply a swift answer," Lieberman said. "I must note that I reviewed everything I said in the questioning sessions, and I am at peace with all of my actions. If I had the opportunity to do things again, I would do the same."

more..............FM: If A-G indicts, I shall resign on the spot | Israel | Jerusalem Post

[Chris]

Lieberman affair / Human error sank Israel's most careful politician
By Gidi Weitz, Haaretz Correspondent

How did this happen to Avigdor Lieberman, perhaps the most careful man in the history of Israeli politics - to reach the point where the police are recommending that serious charges be brought against him? Human error is to blame. A group of documents that Lieberman forgot at a certain office reached the attorney general and eventually led to the unequivocal police recommendation. Since 1996, when he was tapped as director general of the Prime Minister's Office, Lieberman has been under police investigation on many issues. All ended with nothing. He was suspected of receiving bribes from businessman David Appel, of scheming to have Roni Bar-On become attorney general, of fraud involving the Israel Broadcast Authority, and much more. Lieberman managed to emerge from all these cases without a scratch, and no less important, with a constant increase in the number of seats in parliament for his party, Yisrael Beiteinu.

During his years as a serial suspect, Lieberman adopted near-paranoid behavior. He changed his phone numbers at a dizzying rate and removed the battery from his cellphones during private meetings. Lieberman also liked to discuss with friends claims of close ties with the police. Occasionally, when he would meet a close friend, Lieberman would whisper: "I have information that they [the police] are on to you. Watch out. Don't talk on your cellphone." A friend who received such a warning from Lieberman said he couldn't sleep for a few nights as a result. In 1999, when Lieberman ran for the Knesset for the first time, I traveled with him in northern Israel. Lieberman, who stepped down from the PMO in 1997 and turned to private, international business, gave the impression of being a nouveau riche. He smoked cigars, had a lavish office in Jerusalem and drove a new Volvo with a new, extra-quiet driver by the name of Igor Schneider.

more..............Lieberman affair / Human error sank Israel's most careful politician - Haaretz - Israel News

[Chris]

Analysis: How Lieberman under fire could impact on the diplomatic process
By HERB KEINON

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman sat on a couch in the foyer just outside of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's office mid-Sunday afternoon, apparently waiting for a meeting. The sight of the foreign minister waiting in the hall was uncharacteristic. People usually wait for Lieberman, not the other way around. It led one reporter, being ushered into another part of the building for a briefing on the morning's cabinet meeting, to guess: "It must be related to the indictment."

And, indeed, some three hours later, the police announced they were recommending Lieberman be charged for a veritable laundry list of alleged crimes: taking bribes, fraudulently receiving goods, violating his public office, obstructing justice, harassing a witness and laundering millions of shekels. The question one immediately asks when the police recommend indicting one's foreign minister, is what impact this will have on the country's foreign relations. And the answer to that is that there will be minimal direct impact.

more............How FM under fire could impact on the diplomatic process | Israel | Jerusalem Post

[Chris]

In other words, it is not as if the negotiations going on right now with the US will grind to a halt because of the police recommendation, because Lieberman was not actively involved in these talks.

Contrary to initial expectations, Lieberman - for a number of reasons - has not been widely felt in the diplomatic arena. The Egyptians won't deal with him, the Europeans give him a cold shoulder, he did not achieve as much as was expected during his visit to Russia, and the Americans are content dealing with Defense Minister Ehud Barak in his stead.

Even though Lieberman may not have been directly involved with talks, etc. he still had political weight of his party behind the current government. Even if Lieberman is removed they might just replace him with a version 2 from the same party. Hopefully Barak won't be moved up to #2.

[bghtnpd4]

The corruption in Iraeli politics is amazing. It seems someone is always under investigation for something.

[open door]

Do ya'll think that the powers that be will come down on him, putting pressure on Bibi to replace him? I don't think that Lieberman is much liked by the EU, UN & USA - or, am I wrong about it?