Here's another story on the Sharon contretemps. This one draws on more sources than just Ha'aretz.
Concern in Likud as polls show steady loss of support
By Ellis Shuman January 9, 2003
The Dahaf poll conducted for Yediot Aharonot showed the Likud with 28 mandates compared to Labor with 22.
The ongoing allegations of corruption in the Likud Party have resulted in a loss of support for the party, according to the latest public opinion polls. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is expected to directly address allegations of fraud, bribery, and breach of trust regarding a $1.5 million loan his sons received from South African businessman Cyril Kern. Some party members are calling for a "dramatic move" to end the party's slide in the polls.
Likud party officials are reportedly greatly concerned over their party's showing in the polls, which detail a loss of ten Knesset mandates, or about one-fourth of the party's support, over the past month.
But Likud campaign chairman Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert said the polls were "no reason for party members to lose their heads." Minister Tzipi Livni told Army Radio that the drop in Likud support was "temporary" and would not be seen on Election Day.
Likud sources told Ha'aretz that "only a dramatic move," like Omri Sharon resigning from the Knesset list, could stop the party's dramatic slide in the polls and win back voters who have abandoned the party. "His resignation might be able to change the trend, though it also might be too late." Omri Sharon has been connected to the suspicious South African loan and was questioned by police on his role in illegal campaign contributions his father received during the 1999 Likud primary campaign. Omri Sharon refused to answer his interrogators' questions at the time.
According to a Marketwatch poll broadcast on Channel One Television on Tuesday, the Likud still maintains a sizable lead over Labor, 33 mandates to 20. But that poll was released before details of the South African loan deal began to seep into the public's awareness, political analysts said.
Polls published by Israel's three major newspapers on Thursday saw the Likud dropping even further. Maariv reported that Likud's support had dropped to only 30 mandates, compared to 22 for the Labor Party. In the Maariv poll, Shinui had support equaling 14 mandates; Shas had 10 mandates; the National Union had nine; and Meretz remained steady with eight mandates. According to the paper, the right-wing parties would only control 61 of the Knesset seats following the upcoming elections.
Yediot Aharonot reported that the Likud lost four mandates in the past week, and a total of ten mandates over the last month. The paper listed Likud with 28 mandates; Labor with 21-22 mandates; Shinui surged to 17 seats; the National Union had 10-11; Shas also had 10-11; the Arab parties had eight; and Meretz dropped to seven.
Ha'aretz's poll gave Likud 27 mandates, compared to Labor's 24. Army Radio's Geocartography poll, on the other hand, showed the Likud with 32 mandates (a drop of two since the previous week), with Labor also dropping to 20 mandates.
Though the Likud has lost support, most polls showed that voters did not appear to be shifting their allegiance to the Labor Party. Even so, a Labor campaign strategist told the Jerusalem Post that the Ha'aretz story about the South African loan scandal and the subsequent polls had given the campaign new life. "We are starting to think that we really have a chance to win this, if we play our cards right for the rest of this race," the strategist said.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon related to the loan story for the first time. "I will prove the allegations false with documents and facts," he said while touring the security fence being built near Kfar Salem,. "Those who published this plot against me have one only goal, and that is to overthrow the prime minister."
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