AUGUST 2006

Now, let us examine Ariel Sharon's last moments before being rushed to the hospital. He had two appointments at his ranch. The first was with Otniel Shendler, who is not part of any murder plot but provides an interesting digression. Shendler was managing director of the Yesha Council during the Gush Katif expulsion. Ariel Sharon had invited him to join his Kadima party. Shendler gave Ariel Sharon a gift. It was a book he co-authored with Yair Hirshfeld, one of the two negotiators of the Oslo Accord. Just another piece of evidence that the Yesha Council worked hand in hand with the government to sell out Gush Katif.

The next and final meeting was with Ehud Olmert. The following day, Ariel Sharon was supposed to have undergone minor heart surgery to repair a small hole in his heart. The operation was to last 3 hours and during that time, Ariel Sharon signed the papers appointing Ehud Olmert temporary prime minister.

According to the newspaper Hashofar from the same week, Ariel Sharon was utterly opposed to Ehud Olmert as his successor and had, instead, chosen Moshe Katsav. And that may go a long way to explaining why Ehud Olmert was so concerned about receiving the temporary transfer of powers authorization from Ariel Sharon himself in the Negev Desert, when the very same papers could have been faxed to him in his Jerusalem office.

Yediot Ahronot on Jan. 5, published a revealing account of the meeting.

Ehud Olmert then entered the room. "Arik," he said, "There are a few matters I want to handle while I'm serving as temporary prime minister."

Ariel Sharon retorted, "I thought so. I'll transfer my authority to you but I remind you it's only for three hours. Do you understand? You will deal with no one and take care of nothing without me."

Within minutes of the stern warning to Ehud Olmert, Ariel Sharon was stricken and taken by the picturesque route to Jerusalem. And who was there to make sure things went as planned?:

Embedded in the lead story on www.israelnn.com today:

"No politicians have been permitted to visit Ariel Sharon, but Shimon Peres was
to have been the first one, had Ariel Sharon not been taken to the operating room."

By January 11, Ehud Olmert had announced his intention of inviting Shimon Peres to sit in his new government cabinet.

(I am in Salt Lake City. A lunch is arranged for me with Evelyn
Rothschild's grandson who has abandoned the family for Mormonism. He
does not talk willingly but I learn that just seven families are
enjoying the fruits of the war. I ask him why they want to
destroy Israel. He smiles and notes, "They created Israel as their
personal toy. It makes them richer and gives them more control. It's not
going to be destroyed.")

BARRY CHAMISH - www.barrychamish.com