PHOTO BY ROBERT A. CUMINS
\
hrough it all, can Mr. Sharansky
retain, as a popular 19th-century
Russian book is called, the title "A
Hero Of Our Time?"
The question has become more promi-
nent in the month since the report on the
Bar-On Affair was released. In that scan-
dal, the Netanyahu government alleged-
ly peddled the attorney general's office for
political support from the Shas Party.
When he first learned of the charges,
Mr. Sharansky declared that if "10 per-
cent" of them were true, he would support
a no-confidence motion in his own gov-
ernment. His seven Knesset seats, com-
bined with the opposition bloc, would have
ended Mr. Netanyahu's reign.
But the state prosecutor rejected a po-
lice recommendation to indict the prime
minister. And Mr. Sharansky said he
would stay in the government if "sub-
stantial changes" were made in the po-
litical appointments process. Mr.
Netanyahu made Mr. Sharansky a key
minister overseeing that process.
/
/-
"I felt in Russia—
and today —
that everyone who feels
Israeli political leaders, none of the con-
troversies matters. "I think he should be
he is a Jew is a Jew."
Israel's prime minister," the professor of
political science and sociology at the
— Natan Sharansky
American University in Washington,
D.C., says. And Mr. Perlmutter thinks
In uttering the "10 percent" phrase, Mr. Mr. Sharansky would win if he made such
Sharansky explains that, "I wanted to a run. "He's got a big constituency. He's
show my prime minister that this was not a hawk, but he's a strategic hawk. He's
just another scandal, of which there is smart as hell and cunning."
As for Mr. Sharansky's first year in of-
every day in Israel. But the attorney gen-
fice,
Mr. Perlmutter says, "He wants to
eral did not indict him. So people say, 'You
be
Mr.
Integrity and Democracy, but he's
are a mathematician; you know 10 per-
learned
a lesson of the importance of
cent.' But there were no charges against
democracy,
which is the law of the wisest
the prime minister.' " (Charges in the Bar-
On Affair are being brought against Shas prevails."
Of course, no Israeli leader can avoid
leader Arye Deri.)
the
contentious peace process. In this and
It all prompted longtime Sharansky
other
matters, Mr. Sharansky is seen as
friend and former colleague Hirsh Good-
a
centrist.
He voted for the Hebron pull-
man, editor of the Jerusalem Report, to
out,
but
opposed
a recent military with-
write that Mr. Sharansky "understands
drawal
from
9
percent
of the West Bank.
better than anyone else that he has be-
"I
always
keep
a
big
distance to these
come just another cheap politician devoid
words, 'left' and `right,' secular' and 'reli-
of any principal."
But to Amos Perlmutter, a historian of gious,' even the words 'new immigrant'
June 7, 1988 Publi-
cation of autobiography,
Fear No Evil (Random
House).
—
—
Early 1994 Co-founder of
Peace Watch, independent
monitoring group of Israel-
Palestinian accords.
—
and 'veteran' — although when I speak think that with the adjustment to these
to the secular I feel religious, and when I new realities, both sides are coming to the
table. I believe that the peace
speak to the religious I feel sec-
Power talk:
ular." Likewise, he adds, with Council of Jewish process will get on track and
move forward, although slowly."
new immigrants and veteran Is-
Federations
leader Conrad
And what of his own future?
raelis.
Giles with
Would becoming Israel's prime
As for the 9 percent military
at the
minister be the pinnacle of
withdrawal, he opposed the Sharansky
1996 General
achievement for this former pris-
prime minister's position in fa-
Assembly.
oner of Zion?
vor of it. Mr. Sharansky was
"I'm a very ambitious person," he says.
adamant that the pullout be part of a fi-
nal agreement with the Palestinians. "I wanted to bring down the Soviet Union,
Talks on that began early this month in the Iron Curtain and let hundreds of thou-
sands of Jews go out. I never measured
Mr. Netanyahu's inner cabinet.
"With all of this, we have to give cred- my ambitions.
"I learned, long ago fighting with the
it to a prime minister who step by step
continues going forward with the peace KGB, two things. If you want to be suc-
process, despite the hard core of his elec- cessful in that struggle, don't take too se-
torate," Mr. Sharansky says. "[Palestin- riously the KGB. Learn to laugh and don't
ian leader Yassid Arafat was promised take too seriously yourself. The important
by the previous government 90 percent thing is to influence history with your life.
of the West Bank and the other 10 per- I hope that whatever rn be doing, it'll be
cent is for negotiations. Now that he sees doing the same struggle on the path of
that he won't get that from this govern- freeing Jews and ingathering our ex-
ment, he's trying to change the rules. I
May 29, 1996 -- Yisrael Waliyah receives
seven seats in national elections. Not one
new Knesset member all Soviet born —
has one day of government experience. Two
weeks later, named minister ofindustry
and trade and chairman of prime minister's
committee on diaspora relations.
May June, 1997 --- Tours
U.S. cities on behalf of
American-Israel Chamber of
Commerce movement and to
dialogue with diaspora Jevvry
about controversial .
"conversion bill."
-
ti
--- 1990 95 Associate editor
of Jerusalem Report.
-
—
4go
May, 1988 -- Founded and elected
president of Zionist Forum, former
activists in Israel to lobby on behalf
of fellow Soviet Jewish immigrants.
—
L
CI
CI
June 7, 1995 -- Ten Years to
day after arrival in Israel an-
flounces formation of Yisrael
B'aliyah political party. Main
goal is to enhance immi.gration
and absorption.
eianuarY 27, 1997
Visits Moscow fci
first time in 20 years. Sits alone in his
former cell for 15 minutes to contem-
plate how far Jews have come. Visits,
father's grave for the first time.
—
59