Some Labor Party and leftists in the Knesset demanded over the weekend the suspension of Michael Dekel from the post of Deputy Defense Minister because two of his former aides have been indicted in a West Bank land sales fraud. Dekel, who had been Deputy Minister of Agriculture, was named by the Cabinet to the defense job last Wednesday.
His critics have implied that he, too, might have been involved in the scandal for which his former aides, Avi Tzur and Claude Malka, were arrested last week. Likud has countered with charges that the arrests were politically motivated. Police Minister Haim Barlev is a prominent figure in the Labor Party.
Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shamir, leader of Likud, said Friday that he saw “some exaggerated industry” on the part of the police “and I believe it is motivated by political considerations.” Dekel has refused to comment on suggestions that he was implicated, but he defended Tzur, presently employed by the Airport Authority.
Tzur is accused of taking bribes, pocketing some of the money and passing the rest on to Likud. According to Dekel, he was within the law raising money for a political party. “All the parties are doing it and so did Likud,” he said.
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