Dov Weissglass, who recently resigned as head of Prime Minister Sharon's Office, is still listed as part-owner of a law firm representing PA business interests who wish to build a casino in southern Gaza. So reports investigative journalist David Bedein of Israel Resource News Agency in the most recent edition of the Makor Rishon weekly.
According to the P.A. tourist publication This Week in Palestine, plans are well underway to build a new casino and tourist resort in Southern Gaza. "Is it a coincidence," Bedein asks, "that this is where the Jewish communities of Katif now reside?" PA sources say that the new casino will be owned by the same as those who own the Jericho casino: the PA, an Austrian casino company, the Austrian Bank BAWAG and Martin Schlaff - all of them clients of Weissglass' office. When working for Sharon, Weissglass was engaged in high-level negotiations with PA figures. He also met with American officials regarding preparations for the "disengagement" from Gaza and the evacuation of Jewish towns in Katif.
In January 2003, the Israel Civil Service Commission spokesman affirmed Bedein's finding that Weissglass was still registered in the Israel Corporate Register as part of his law firm, Weissglass-Almagor. The spokesman dismissed its importance, however, saying that Weissglass had divested himself from all financial interests in that firm. The Commission asked him to formally remove his name from the firm, however, and indeed, in April 2003, he did so.
But, Bedein now reports, it has been confirmed by the Israel Corporate Authority that Weissglass is still registered as the lawyer of record for two other firms that are located at the same addresses and with the same lawyers. One of them, in fact, has the very same name: Weissglass-Almagor.
On May 11, 2004, the spokesman for the Israel Civil Service Commission wrote that Weissglass had divested himself of his law firm and had sold the shares of his business. Upon examination of the publicly available Israel Corporate Authority records of the Weissglass business, Bedein reports, there is no record of any Weissglass activity to divest neither from this second law firm nor from his business.
"Two weeks ago," Bedein wrote in Makor Rishon, "Weissglass was asked if he still has contacts with the casino company. His answer: 'No comment.'"
Bedein lists the following remaining questions:
* What profits did Weissglass' law office and business make from Palestinian Authority interests before and after Weissglass assumed his position?
* What are the current profits of Weissglass' law office and business from Palestinian Authority interests?
* Is there a possibility of a conflict of interest, at a time when Weissglass conducts negotiations on behalf of the state of Israel with all official levels of the Palestinian Authority?
"These questions need to be addressed," Bedein concludes, "by the Knesset, the Attorney-General, the State Comptroller and by the Israel Civil Service Commission." The latter two can be visited at mevaker.gov.il and civil-service.gov.il.
According to the P.A. tourist publication This Week in Palestine, plans are well underway to build a new casino and tourist resort in Southern Gaza. "Is it a coincidence," Bedein asks, "that this is where the Jewish communities of Katif now reside?" PA sources say that the new casino will be owned by the same as those who own the Jericho casino: the PA, an Austrian casino company, the Austrian Bank BAWAG and Martin Schlaff - all of them clients of Weissglass' office. When working for Sharon, Weissglass was engaged in high-level negotiations with PA figures. He also met with American officials regarding preparations for the "disengagement" from Gaza and the evacuation of Jewish towns in Katif.
In January 2003, the Israel Civil Service Commission spokesman affirmed Bedein's finding that Weissglass was still registered in the Israel Corporate Register as part of his law firm, Weissglass-Almagor. The spokesman dismissed its importance, however, saying that Weissglass had divested himself from all financial interests in that firm. The Commission asked him to formally remove his name from the firm, however, and indeed, in April 2003, he did so.
But, Bedein now reports, it has been confirmed by the Israel Corporate Authority that Weissglass is still registered as the lawyer of record for two other firms that are located at the same addresses and with the same lawyers. One of them, in fact, has the very same name: Weissglass-Almagor.
On May 11, 2004, the spokesman for the Israel Civil Service Commission wrote that Weissglass had divested himself of his law firm and had sold the shares of his business. Upon examination of the publicly available Israel Corporate Authority records of the Weissglass business, Bedein reports, there is no record of any Weissglass activity to divest neither from this second law firm nor from his business.
"Two weeks ago," Bedein wrote in Makor Rishon, "Weissglass was asked if he still has contacts with the casino company. His answer: 'No comment.'"
Bedein lists the following remaining questions:
* What profits did Weissglass' law office and business make from Palestinian Authority interests before and after Weissglass assumed his position?
* What are the current profits of Weissglass' law office and business from Palestinian Authority interests?
* Is there a possibility of a conflict of interest, at a time when Weissglass conducts negotiations on behalf of the state of Israel with all official levels of the Palestinian Authority?
"These questions need to be addressed," Bedein concludes, "by the Knesset, the Attorney-General, the State Comptroller and by the Israel Civil Service Commission." The latter two can be visited at mevaker.gov.il and civil-service.gov.il.