Behind the Headlines Plotting the Role of Sharon’s Farm

The government is in a quandary over how to deal with a conflict of interest involving Agriculture Minister Ariel Sharon and the 1000-acre farm he owns in the northern Negev. Three committees set up to deal with the matter recommended that Sharon either give up the farm or resign from the Cabinet. But the hawkish Yom Kippur War hero has nobody to assign the property for.

His children are top young and so far no one has offered to buy or lease the acreage. Premier Menachem Begin wants Sharon to stay in the Cabinet and so does Sharon. Other Cabinet members, including the two Deputy Premiers, Yigael Yodin and Simcha Ehrlich, have expressed sympathy with their colleague and believe that to implement the committees’ recommendations in this case would be unfair.

But the government takes seriously even the appearance of conflict of interest with respect to any of its members. The new Finance Minister, Yigal Hurwitz, divested himself of his prosperous dairy products industry when he took office last year. But Hurwitz was able to hand over the business to his two adult sons. Other ministers have acted similarly, relinquishing law practices or business interests, even those that had no bearing on their Cabinet duties.

For the Agriculture Minister to own one of Israel’s largest and most prosperous farms raises suspicions. He is in charge of the Israel Land Authority from which he originally bought the form. He is in charge of water distribution for agriculture and there have been charges that his farm consumes more than its legal quota. He is in charge of produce exports and Sharon’s farm is one of the largest exporters of melons and other products to the European market. He is in charge of agricultural prices, of fertilizer and numerous other items related to agriculture.

In short, he is vulnerable to charges–fair or unfair–of using his position to improve his private holdings.

Recently, Sharon was accused of spending public money on security equipment for his farm. The minister denied this, noting that the security fence and floodlights installed around his residence were the kind of measures taken to protect every Cabinet member. Friends of Sharon claim he is being hounded by political foes because of his hardline views and his advocacy of massive Jewish settlements in the occupied territories and the seizure of Arab-owned lands for that purpose if necessary.

HISTORY OF SHARON’S FARM

Sharon’s farm, which is called Shikmim, has a long history that dates back to the early days of the State of Israel when the government was trying to attract settlers to the Negev. The 1000-acre plot, remarked for grazing, was leased to an Australian Jewish family who joined Israeli investors in an attempt to establish a sheep ranch. But the enterprise was a failure and eventually the 1000 acres and adjacent lands reverted to the Israel Land Authority and were distributed among various kibbutzim and moshavim.

When Sharon retired from the army after the Yom Kippur War, he entered politics. But, as the sabra son of Russian Jewish immigrants who had been farm workers at Kfar Mallal, he had ambitions to own a farm. With his personal savings and loans from two wealthy American Jews, the late Sam Sacks of Chicago, and Meshulam Riklis of Los Angeles, he bought the failed sheep ranch and began to cultivate crops for export.

The farm prospered. Its “baby-super watermelons” are popular throughout Western Europe. It also raises wheat, lemons and animal fodder, grazes about 1000 head of sheep and has a stable of horses. It employs anywhere from several score to several hundred workers, the latter during the harvesting and packing season.

The government now finds itself in a position where to reject the recommendations of three committees–one Headed by a distinguished retired judge–would tarnish its image. On the other hand. Begin and other ministers do not want to force Sharon to resign. One minister has suggested that Sharon relinquish the Agriculture Ministry portfolio to become Minister of Settlements, a Cabinet post that does not now exist, or Minister-Without-Portfolio. But this has not been formally presented to Begin.

While the government ponders the matter, Sharon keeps his farm and his Cabinet seat. Some observers believe that the situation will be resolved by accepting the committees’ recommendations but not implementing them.