Pressure Mounts on Sharon over Bribes as Hamas Calls Bush "Enemy of Islam"

28/03/2004| IslamWeb

The new leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip on Sunday called President Bush the enemy of Islam and said that "God declared war" against Bush, the United States and Israel. In a speech at Gaza's Islamic University, Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi said he was not surprised that the United States vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israel's assassination on Monday of Hamas spiritual leader and founder, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. "We knew that Bush is the enemy of God, the enemy of Islam and Muslims. America declared war against God. Sharon declared war against God and God declared war against America, Bush and Sharon," Rantisi stated. "The war of God continues against them and I can see the victory coming up from the land of Palestine by the hand of Hamas." Other senior Hamas figures such as Ismail Haniya were also among the crowds at the university and Rantissi said that Israel could never hope to wipe out the movement. "Even if the Zionists kill all of us (in the leadership), they cannot kill the resistance and Hamas," he said. Rantisi also called on Arab nations which have relations with the Jewish state to close down Israeli diplomatic missions. "The blood of Sheikh Yassin calls on you to close the embassies, the consulates, commercial offices, and to stop meeting killers like Sharon," he said. "The time has come to be strong in facing America and the Zionists." **Prosecutor Recommends Indicting Sharon*** Israel's chief prosecutor has officially recommended indicting Ariel Sharon in a corruption scandal that could drive him from office. The bombshell follows growing pressure on Sharon to quit if charges are brought. The calls have come from within his own cabinet as well as from the opposition. The prime minister denies any wrongdoing as does David Appel, the prominent property developer at the centre of the scandal. He has been charged with trying to bribe Ariel Sharon in the late 1990s. It is thought it could take up to two months before a final decision is made on whether to press charges. That responsibility falls to the Attorney General Menachem Mazuz but State Attorney Edna Arbel's recommendation is likely to play a key role in his deliberations. It is alleged that David Appel hired Sharon's son Gilad as a consultant, paying him large sums of money to persuade his father, then foreign minister, to promote real estate deals including a Greek island resort that was never built. However, under Israeli law, Ariel Sharon would be under no obligation to resign even if indicted. But opinion polls show he would be under immense public pressure to quit if he is charged. **PHOTO CAPTION*** Dr. Abdel Aziz Rantisi, right, the new leader of Hamas in Gaza, holds a young boy following a speech at the Islamic University in Gaza City, Sunday, March 28, 2004. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)