It looks as though the Israelis are just as crazy as...

[p_p_man]

Americans when it comes to electing their national leaders...

From today's Times:

Sharon to pull triumph out of disaster
Commentary by Jeff Barak

THE question hanging over tomorrow’s election in Israel is not who will win but why a scandal-ridden 74-year-old Prime Minister with so little to show for his two years in office looks likely not just to win but to cruise to victory.

Ariel Sharon’s record as Prime Minister is disastrous. On the security front, more Israelis have been killed in terror attacks over the past two years than ever before, while domestically the economy has notched up its worst performance since 1953. Unemployment is over 10 per cent and climbing, and inflation is at 6 per cent. No recovery, economic or diplomatic, is in sight.

On top of that, Mr Sharon is enmeshed in a personal scandal over a £1 million loan he took from a British businessman, Cyril Kern, to pay off election campaign contributions that had been ruled illegal; his two sons have been named in separate scandals involving Mr Sharon’s right-wing Likud Party; and the party itself has been tainted by allegations of bribery during its internal primary campaign.

As Israeli political commentators are fond of saying, in any normal country no such candidate would have a chance of victory. Yet come polling day, Mr Sharon’s return to the Prime Minister’s office seems guaranteed.

It seems the only chance peace will have in the Region is when he pops his clogs...

ppman

 

[p_p_man]

In defence of Israel...

From today's Guardian:

12 killed in Israeli raid on Gaza Strip

Chris McGreal in Jerusalem
Monday January 27, 2003
The Guardian

Just two days before an Israeli general election in which Ariel Sharon is campaigning on his militarist policies, Israeli forces yesterday launched their biggest raid on Gaza since the prime minister came to power two years ago.

The army killed 12 Palestinians and injured dozens more - eight critically - as about 50 tanks, armoured vehicles and helicopters swooped on the Zaitoun district of Gaza city.

More than 100 buildings were flattened during the raid.

Hours later, a six year-old Palestinian boy was shot dead by the Israeli army in another part of Gaza, the latest of more than 100 children killed by the army since the start of the intifada. His five year-old brother was wounded.

It seems that as there have been no major terrorist attacks recently against Israel, Sharon is intent on provoking one.

When it comes it'll probably be too late to influence tomorrow's election, but come it will...

At least it will give the 'Beast of Beirut' another chance to point his pudgy finger and wail "See what we poor jewish people have to put up with? See?"

What comes first, the fist in the mouth or the provocation?

ppman

 

[p_p_man]

How the children of Palestine have to live

From today's New York Times

Fighting appeared to have been fiercest in a central market here. In the scorched, acrid remains of the stalls today, hundreds of children with soot-blackened hands scavenged charred clothes and grimy perfume bottles.

In the Rafah refugee camp south of here, Palestinian hospital officials said Ali Alghraiz, 8, was shot dead by Israeli fire, and his brother Allah, 5, was seriously wounded, while the boys played in front of their house.

Not that I expect much response to this thread from those of you who just can't wait to drop your missiles and bombs on Baghdad in the hope you might hit one man...

But it is quite uncanny sometimes how Sharon's policy of 'kill 'em all' mirrors Bush's of 'if you're not with us you're agin us'...

ppman

 

[70/30]

£1 million is that it? I'm pretty sure the GOP got around $400million last cycle---DEMs $385million. Secretary of the Army Thomas White cashed in for $30million when he went from being second in charge of Enron's Energy division to his current position--he's now in charge of a budget in the $100's of billions.

Here's some more guys that can give themselves millions because of their high political positions
http://www.commondreams.org/views01/0227-05.htm

 

[Johnny Mayberry]

Hmmmm..a country based on religious zeal having problems? Who would have ever believed it?

 

[p_p_man]

Hmmmm..a country based on religious zeal having problems? Who would have ever believed it?

But it's a pity the Labour Party looks as though they've thrown away the best chance they'll have for a while...

ppman