MK Steinitz calls on State Prosecutor Arbel to resign

[Gimel]

The chairman of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, MK Yuval Steinitz (Likud), on Tuesday called on State Prosecutor Edna Arbel to resign.

Arbel is undermining the authority of new Attorney General Menachem (Meni) Mazuz, making it impossible for him to conduct an independent inquiry of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's involvement in the David Appel affair, Steinitz charged. Her recent public comments have been designed to pressure Mazuz into issuing an indictment against the prime minister, Steinitz said, adding Arbel is using the media to back the new attorney general into a corner.

In response, a Justice Ministry spokesman said, "unfortunately, MK Steinitz hastily responds to media reports, without first checking the facts. Arbel did not relate to matters connected to Sharon's case; and items reported in this connection created an artificial connection."
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/387715.html

The State Prosecutor was speaking in hypothetical terms, it appears. In Israel, every opinion announced is followed by it's antithesis.

[plurality]

1. It seems to me Arbel is just trying to avoid a whitewash.

After all, would we expect John Ashcroft to perform a thorough and impartial investigation of Bush? Especially if Ashcroft was newly appointed as Mazuz is.

[Gimel]

2. I didn't know

the Ashcroft is Attorney General. I thought he was Secretary of Defense. So no, I wouldn't expect him to, as he is appointed by Bush. Masus was not appointed by Sharon.

Twenty cabinet members voted for Mazuz, with MK Benny Elon abstaining. Sharon and Olmert, who both face possible indictments, did not participate in the vote.

Sharon said he stayed away from the vote on the advice of outgoing attorney general Rubinstein, and that his lack of participation should not be interpreted as a sign that he does not hold Mazuz in high esteem.

Mazuz, who has served as deputy attorney general for the past decade, was one of the three candidates submitted by the Bach Committee; the other two were Jerusalem District Court Judge David Cheshin and Tel Aviv District Court Judge Uzi Fogelman.

Lapid, who favored Mazuz for the post, said the new attorney general will get his full support as long as he bases his judicial decisions on state law alone.
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/386805.html

[plurality]

3. nope Ashcroft is attorney general, Rumsfeld is SecDef

and yes, I know that Mazuz wasn't appointed by Sharon, but he was appointed by Sharon's cabinet, and the apple never falls far from the tree.

[Gimel]

4. A cabinet vote

selected him from three candidates:

Mazuz, who has served as deputy attorney general for the past decade, was one of the three candidates submitted by the Bach Committee;

the law for appointment:

The Attorney General, who is a civil servant, is appointed by the Government upon the recommendation of the Minister of Justice;
http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/Politics/ag.html

Not quite an apple from the tree.