Teflon's not just for cooking fat free. Ever since left-wing America, clueless to Ronnie Reagan's scratch-proof popularity, dubbed him "the Teflon President," the term has been used by many to describe people who manage to emerge unscathed from suspicion and scandals. Even I used it to describe the Teflon Terrorism, whom otherwise "peace-loving" people adore.
Israeli politicians, especially those who have fled veteran parties and joined Kadima are in special need for strong Teflon coats. It seems that considering their varied political backgrounds, the one thing they have in common is corruption charges, not very attractive to some Israelis, but according to the polls, they're doing very well.
There are daily revelations of Prime Minister Sharon's dirty dealings. The latest is a three million dollar bribe.
A year and a half ago, I accompanied my parents to the Israeli Supreme Court to watch my daughter in action as a lawyer with the Israel Movement for Quality in Government. They were petitioning against the court's ignoring bribery charges against Sharon and son, Gilad.
I had the challenging task of translating hours of Hebrew legalese and double-talk into basic English. Simply, the court decided that Mazuz's excuse that he had "secret reasons" was sufficient. That's Israeli justice. They definitely use special tools to keep the Teflon scratch free. The Supreme Court President Justice Aharon Barak has an agenda, as he calls it. It's promoting his vision of what Israel should be, and he unabashadly makes his court decisions to suit. No, this isn't "government" as I learned it in America.
The big question is: Does the Israeli public fry its eggs on Teflon? I don't. I don't trust that it's healthy. We're going to have to clean out all of the corruption. Let's get out the steel wool and start scrubbing.
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