BYE BYE GAZA - Barry Chamish

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Channel Ten tonight, causing a storm of reaction and calls
for Sharon to resign.
CYRIL KERN & MARTIN SLEEP
The investigation of the money trail to Sharon has been
underway for over three years, and in fact was first
publicized before the last national election, in 2003. The case
is known as the Cyril Kern affair, named for the South African
friend of Sharon who served as a conduit for the money. The
source of the cash, however, has long been suspected to be
Austrian millionaire and Jericho casino owner Martin Schlaf.
The police say the money was used partially to help Sharon
pay back campaign contributions that he had received
illegally in 1999, and partly for the Sharon family's private
use.
SCHLAF'S PARENTS LIVING IN ISRAEL
Because of the suspicions hanging over him, Schlaf has
refrained from visiting Israel of late. His brother James,
however, came for a visit two weeks ago - and the police
jumped at the opportunity. They raided his parents' home in
Israel, and confiscated documents and two laptop
computers. However, the police were not permitted to
extricate the information on the computers without James'
permission - which he refused to give.
SCHLAF'S BROTHER JAMES : SUSPICIOUS
BEHAVIOUR
Schlaf's behavior aroused the suspicion of the police, which
turned urgently to the courts and said that the computer files
will show that the $3 million was in fact passed as a bribe to
Ariel Sharon or his sons. The police therefore say that it is
imperative for them to be allowed to enter the computers in
order to extricate vital evidence in the Kern-Sharon affair.
James Schlaf, aware of the developments, has since given
his permission for the police to peruse his computer files.