ISRAEL - Oct. 30 - Police Question Sharon Over Bribery.

Police question PM Sharon for 7 hours over a $1.5m loan from Cyril Kern, a South Africa-based businessman. The loan was allegedly used as collateral to repay what judicial authorities found were illegal contributions to his campaign to become the leader of the Likud Party in 1999. (But the claims are unlikely to topple Sharon). Another scandal involves a businessman who employed Gilad, Sharon's younger son, to help develop a resort on a Greek island when Sharon was foreign minister in 1998-99. Sharon denies any wrongdoing and promises full co-operation. (Gilad cited the right to remain silent and avoid self-incrimination during police questioning earlier this year. A district court recently overturned a police request for Gilad to hand over documents. Omri, Sharon's elder son and a Likud member of the Knesset, has also been questioned. Public discontent is rising over the conflict with the Palestinians and the dire state of the economy. The Likud suffered losses in this week's local elections amid low voter turnout. Previous corruption inquiries into the former prime ministers Benjamin Netanyahu and Ehud Barak were dropped without any criminal charges). Says Joel Peters, a political science professor at Ben Gurion University: "The questioning of Sharon should be more dramatic but it isn't because of the general weariness felt by many Israelis about their politicians. The question is whether the police and the whole investigation can make anything stick".

(Most Israelis are more preoccupied by Palestinian suicide attacks and deep cuts to welfare benefits and the public sector, which makes up 55% of GDP. There is wider concern about the problems facing the police, including organised crime and a rise in drug smuggling and the trafficking of women. The media regularly speculate about the probity of the political and business elite. Rumours about irregular business ties with Palestinian officials and investors have also been aired but without any evidence. A human rights group has petitioned the Supreme Court to shut down a secret jail where Arab prisoners are alleged to have been held in violation of international law. The Centre for the Defence of the Individual says the prison, known as Facility 1391 on a secret military base, was closed to visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross. Documents filed by the state to the court in an earlier petition said the facility was already shut down but the group says there is no way of confirming this).

Chief of Staff Lt-Gen. Yaalon is reprimanded after saying curbs on the Palestinians would increase their hatred and harm Israel's "strategic interest" (see Arabs-Israel).