ATTENTION HIGH MILEAGE DRIVERS...

As The
Scandal Turns

What's the big deal about the Bar-On Affair? It's that it
keeps getting bigger.

INA FRIEDMAN ISRAEL CORRESPONDENT

ews outside of Israel might
not understand all the fuss
over what's known as the
Deri-Bar-On Affair, but it's
the major story out of Israel these
days. As it builds, the sense of
government leaders "under siege"
becomes almost as compelling as
the facts of the case in question.
The police and the State Pros-
ecutofs Office have urged the
public to be patient until their in-
vestigations are completed.
Meanwhile the media, tradi-
tionally to the left of center, has
been having a field day.
After weeks of lying relatively
dormant, the story returned to
the front page last week. Dan
Avi-Yitzhak, the lawyer repre-
senting Shas leader Aryeh Deri
(alleged to be the prime mover
behind Mr. Bar-On's appoint-
ment as attorney-general, in re-
turn for an 11th-hour plea
bargain in his fraud trial),
abruptly resigned from Mr. Deri's
case.
In an angry letter, Mr. Avi-
Yitzhak referred to Mr. Deri's
"plan" to have Mr. Bar-On ap-
pointed to the post. If true, this
would seemingly substantiate
part of the allegations that Mr.
Deri is the chief villain of the af-
fair.
Then, Friday night the coun-
try was stunned to learn on Is-
rael Television's Channel One
that in giving his testimony to po-
lice, Prime Minister Binyamin
Netanyahu had been "interro-
gated under caution." That
means that he had been warned
that any evidence he gave could
be used in criminal proceedings
against him.
The attorney general's office
on Tuesday said that this had
been an inappropriate move and
considered a different round of
questions of the prime minister.
This comes as contradictions
were reportedly found between
his testimony and that of his
close aide, Cabinet Secretary
Danny Naveh.
Mr. Netanyahu promptly did
the most reasonable thing any-
one in his position could do: He
hired one of Israel's most suc-
cessful and admired criminal
lawyers, 49-year-old Yaacov
Weinrot, to represent him.
In a battery of interviews, Mr.
Weinrot put his own reputation
on the line by declaring his firm
conviction that Mr. Netanyahu
would emerge "untainted." Then
he moved to get his client off the

161

INTRODUCING THE 18,000 MILE PER YEAR LEASE

Only $1,650 Due at Inception - Sign & Drive Lease Specials

CALL FOR LOWER MILEAGE LEASE SPECIALS

6700 Highland Rd.
(M-59)

Jeep

Eagle

YOU'RE ONLY MINUTES AWAY

HOURS: Mon. 8 Thurs. 6:30arn-9:00pm
Tues., Wed.. Fri. 8:30am-6:00pm
- Sales Only Sal. 10-3
Service, Parts, d Body Shop
Mon. 7 a.m.-7 p.m. • Tues.-Ftl. 7 a.m.-6 p.m.

RosE

CHRYSLER PLYMOUTH JEEP EAGLE

(Across from Alpine Ski Village)

(810) 889-8989

www.rosejeep.com

Photo may not represent actual vehicle. Sale includes incoming & in-stock vehicles only. Previous sales excluded. "Subject to lenders lease approval. Lease pay-
ment based on 24 mo. closed end lease. Leases is responsible for $1,650 out of pocket and includes first payment and $0 security deposit. Add 6% use tax to monthly
payment plus plates. Customer has option to purchase vehicle at lease end at price determined at lease inception. To get total obligation multiply payment x term.
18,000 miles per year average. 10¢ per mile excess charge. 'All sale prices plus tax, title, doc., dest. & rebates. Subject for eligibility for Chrysler Employee Purchase
Plan. Subject to Chryslers College Graduate Program approvals. Sale ends March 7, 1997.

851-6340

6704 ORCHARD LAKE RD., WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI 48322 (1ST STOPLIGHT SOUTH OF MAPLE)

hot seat by putting someone else
in it. That has spun into what's
labeled the Bibi-Tsachi Affair.
Mr. Weinrot explained that
the prime minister had backed
Mr. Bar-On's appointment be-
cause it had been recommend-
ed by Justice Minister and
Netanyahu confidante Tsachi
Hanegbi.
Mr. Hanegbi, this version con-
tinues, also led him to believe
that Mr. Bar-On had the bless-
ing of Supreme Court Chief Jus-
tice Aharon Barak. Indeed, as
various ministers subsequently
complained, in presenting
Mr.Bar-On's candidacy to the
cabinet, Mr. Hanegbi had made
it seem as though Mr. Barak had
approved it.
But in his own testimony to
the police, the chief justice made
it clear that when Mr. Hanegbi
had raised Mr. Bar-On's name
before him, he expressed "sharp
opposition" on grounds of pro-
fessional competence. Mr. Haneg-
bi says that he apprised Mr.
Netanyahu of Mr. Barak's objec-
tions. Mr. Weinrot says he did
not.

Tsachi Hanegbi
refuses to be Likud's
fall guy.

Mr. Hanegbi then made it
clear that he had no intention of
becoming anyone's "scapegoat."
Indeed, he made it known that,
far from being the one who in-
troduced Mr. Bar-On's name
into the running, he had re-
ceived it from the Prime Minis-
ter's Office. He also revealed
that Mr. Netanyahu had met
with Mr. Bar-On last November
(before former-Attorney Gener-
al Michael Ben-Yair had even
resigned) and had been favor-
ably impressed by him.
Meanwhile, the political are-
na has been a ping-pong match
over the mess as well.
For the better part of a
month, the opposition has exer-
cised unusual restraint. But
over the weekend Meretz leader
Yossi Sarid urged Mr. Ne-
tanyahu to "suspend himself,"
pending the outcome of the po-
lice inquiry.
Labor's Shimon Peres and
Ehud Barak have resisted the
temptation to flay the prime
minister. They even criticized