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New scandal haunts Israeli govt
15/05/2005 19:47 - (SA)
Jerusalem - Israel's latest political scandal involves the foreign minister, the ambassador to Washington, two angry wives - and Madonna.
Underlying the dizzying swirl of accusations is a long-running rivalry between the prime minister's office and the foreign ministry over who controls Israel's relations with the United States.
Traditionally, the prime minister is in charge of the all-important ties and picks the Israeli ambassador to Washington. Successive Israeli foreign ministers have complained they are being sidelined by their prime ministers when it comes to ties with Washington.
The current Israeli foreign minister, Silvan Shalom, reportedly was upset with the Israeli ambassador to Washington, Danny Ayalon, for failing to get him invited to the White House.
Israeli radio stations quoted Ayalon's supporters as saying the White House prefers to deal directly with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, noting Shalom has only shown lukewarm support for the Gaza withdrawal, seen by the Bush administration as crucial.
At Sunday's cabinet meeting, Sharon admonished his ministers over the infighting, asking them to "tone down their disputes," participants said on condition of anonymity.
Sharon was also apparently referring to a row over corruption allegations between vice premier Ehud Olmert and finance minister Benjamin Netanyahu - both of whom hope to succeed Sharon.
Tensions between the foreign minister and the ambassador erupted over the weekend, with the two camps trading accusations of inappropriate behaviour by Shalom's wife, Judy Nir-Moses, a member of the publishing family of the Yediot Ahronot daily, and the ambassador's wife, Ann Ayalon.
"The Ambassador vs Judy," read the front-page headline Sunday in the Maariv daily. "The Spat," summed up Yediot.
Earlier this month, Yediot reported that Ann Ayalon had verbally abused household staff at her official residence in Washington. Yediot reported that she had called staff members, who are Israeli government employees, "stupid" and "retarded" and forced one to bow before her because her work was unsatisfactory.
In response, Israel's civil service commissioner, responsible for government employees, sent an investigator to Washington over the weekend to gather testimony from embassy workers, said spokesman Aryeh Grinblatt.
The investigator, Netanel Lavit, has already spoken to former embassy staff in Jerusalem, he said.
The ambassador, meanwhile, accused Shalom's wife of pushing to have his personal assistant Liran Peterzil fired, and wants the attorney general to open an investigation, the justice ministry said. The attorney general, Meni Mazuz, will review a letter by Ayalon on the matter Sunday, the ministry said.
Ayalon claims that Judy Nir-Moses pushed to get the assistant fired after he failed to arrange a meeting for her with Madonna during the pop star's visit to Israel in September.
"At that moment, Judy took out a contract on me. I called her, tried to explain what happened, but she said 'Steve (Silvan) and I will never speak to you again,' and slammed the phone down," Peterzil was quoted as saying in Yediot.
Shalom's wife denied the allegations, telling Israel TV's Channel Two that it is "clear, completely clear" the accusations against her were raised to detract attention from the investigation of Ayalon's wife.
"Liran is charming, charming, just charming. He's cute and charming and I don't have one bad word to say about him," she said. Asked if the assistant should remain in his post, she said: "I don't get involved. It's not me. You know, it's very easy to blame me for everything."
The foreign ministry said Peterzil's position is being cut as part of general cost-cutting. The ministry said the assistant's three-year contract expired last year.
- SAPA
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