Scandals seen endangering Sharon’s position

TEL AVIV — Ariel Sharon has earned a reputation as Israel’s Teflon prime minister, weathering the Palestinian uprising and an economic recession to emerge with an unprecedented election victory.

But as police investigations into a land deal and campaign finances engulf Mr. Sharon’s son, Gilad, analysts say it’s far from clear that the prime minister will remain unscathed.

And with Mr. Sharon and another son, Omri, facing police questioning over their political fund raising, some have suggested Mr. Sharon’s tenure could unravel.

The campaign-finance inquiry was leaked to the press six months ago, weeks before parliamentary elections returned Mr. Sharon to power.

At the time, the prime minister was able neutralize its effect with a press conference in which he scolded the media for even daring to drag the investigation into the election campaign.

Mr. Sharon continues to enjoy high approval ratings for his handling of the Palestinian uprising, with some comparing him to David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, who dominated politics for the first two decades of Israel’s existence.

But with Gilad Sharon refusing to talk to police, charges of a scandal are eroding Mr. Sharon’s aura of invincibility.

“It’s definitely a problem,” said Hebrew University professor Avraham Diskin. “The situation now is very threatening to Sharon, more than any political thing that could have endangered his position as prime minister.”

The campaign-finance inquiry goes back to the 1999 Likud primary that vaulted Mr. Sharon to the leadership of the party.

After some of the donations to the campaign were disqualified by election authorities, Gilad Sharon reportedly received a $1.5 million loan from South African businessman Cyril Keren.

Omri Sharon, who has functioned as Mr. Sharon’s closest political aide, also could be drawn into the scandal.

In the land-deal investigation, nicknamed the “Greek island affair,” Gilad Sharon is suspected of accepting payments from David Appel, a businessman and political insider who sought help from Mr. Sharon and other Likud politicians in building an island resort in the Mediterranean Sea.

When called in for questioning by police last month over the Keren loan, Gilad Sharon invoked his right to silence for fear of implicating his father. This month, he maneuvered to avoid a court order to hand over documents connected to the case.

Gilad Sharon’s reluctance to talk to police investigators has reflected on his father. There’s been criticism from Mr. Sharon’s coalition partners about his son’s behavior.

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