Hamas War

Saturday, June 7, 2014

Israeli Presidential Race Shock, Fuad Joins Sylvan Shalom

Bad timing for Fuad Ben-Eliezer who seemed to have a chance in the complicated race for the position of President of Israel. Fuad is the second candidate to bow out because of "allegations." Actually, his case looks worse than the never proven charges against Sylvan Shalom of sexual misconduct, which had stopped his campaign before he even officially threw his hat in the ring.
Shalom called the accusations part of a political conspiracy aimed at removing him from the race, and he has hardly been the only candidate besmirched in a race that has often been marred by scandal and controversy.
Read more: Likud minister Shalom said to nix presidential run | The Times of Israel http://www.timesofisrael.com/likud-minister-shalom-said-to-nix-presidential-run/#ixzz33z5KlqVo Follow us: @timesofisrael on Twitter | timesofisrael on Facebook
Fuad has joined the list of Israeli politicians accused of graft, accepting money.
"On Friday, in the final stretch of a long campaign, four days before the vote in the Knesset for the job of president, in which, and I say this modestly, I was the leading candidate, I was called with a 20-minute warning to the police for an investigation of how my apartment [in Jaffa] was funded," Ben-Eliezer recounted, adding that every shekel used to pay for the apartment was earned transparently...The police investigation is only one of several scandals that rocked Ben-Eliezer's campaign. Jerusalem Post
In Israel the president is not an executive position. Officially there's no real power. It's supposed to be "apolitical," even though most presidents have come from political backgrounds. Also the president is not voted by the people. The 120 Knesset Members choose the president. And now there is more and more campaigning among that very small group.

Personally, I'd like to see Ruby Rivlin as President. I think he'd do a good job. I just can't wait until Peres is out of office.

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