Minister Salah Tarif, the first non-Jew to serve in Israel's Cabinet, announced his resignation this morning. He left today's weekly Cabinet meeting immediately after making the announcement. Tarif, a Druze member of the Labor Party, was involved in two recent controversies. He will apparently soon be indicted, in the framework of one of them, on charges of bribing an Interior Ministry official to give his Palestinian friend an Israeli identity card. The other one involves the suspicion that he was blackmailed over sexual misconduct.

Two Labor Party leaders are already in the running for his seat: MK Weizman Shiri and former Labor party Secretary-General Nissim Zvilli. Knesset faction leader Effie Oshaya suggested that no one take Tarif's place, in light of the country's sorry economic state. It was recalled today that Minister Without Portfolio Tzippy Livny (Likud) had once offered to resign her post in order to save money for the country, but said that she did not want her party to lose "influence" in the government. The resignations of both Tarif and Livny would balance each other out, it was noted.

Also at today's Cabinet meeting, Ministers Suissa, Rivlin, and Avigdor Lieberman asked to discuss allegations that the police illegally wiretapped Lieberman's phones three years ago, and the ramifications thereof. Prime Minister Sharon said that the matter would be investigated by the State Comptroller, and not in a political body. The police have denied the allegations, but Lieberman says he has evidence to the contrary.

Link & Sources:

Israel National News (Arutz 7 - English)