Surprise! Another Shas MK Convicted!

Shocking!

"Shas party Knesset Member Rabbi Shlomo Benizri was convicted by the Jerusalem's District Court Tuesday on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, committed during his tenure as labor and welfare minister.

Two years ago Benizri was indicted for passing on advance information to building contractor Moshe Sela which included details on the quota of foreign laborers expected to arrive in Israel.

The prosecution said that in return for this information the Shas member had received perks worth millions of shekels, including large sums of money, expensive furniture, cleaning services, electrical appliances and help in expanding his apartment. The MK was also convicted of conspiracy to commit fraud and disrupting court proceedings.

His spiritual and political patron, Rabbi Reuven Elbaz, was convicted of facilitating and accepting bribes and conspiracy to commit fraud." (YNET)

Money Quote: Regarding the indictment, Benizri stated: "After listening to the prosecutors say this is the most serious case of bribery in the history of Israel (I have to say), this is the biggest lie in the history of Israel."

Wow. The biggest lie! Rather impressive.

Benizri joins ranks with other fellow Shas convicted criminals:

Arieh Deri - convicted of taking a total of $155,000 in bribes while director-general of the interior ministry and later as interior minister.

Raphael Pinhasi - convicted of counterfeiting corporate documents, attempted extortion, acting as an accessory to a crime and giving false witness.

Yair Levi -- convicted of embezzling NIS 300,000 from Shas's El Hama'ayan non-profit association

Yair Peretz -- Peretz was found guilty of receiving a BA in psychology from the now-defunct local extension of Burlington University, after he copied nine essays written by former students at the school and submitted them as his own.

Opher Chugi - Guilty of a number of serious offenses, including aggravated forgery, using forged documents, receiving items through fraudulent means, false registration of a corporation and attempting to receive items through fraudulent means.

Shlomo Dayan - Convicted of Fraud (along with Raphael Pinchasi, see above)

For a political party that names itself for the Oral Torah and claims to act only under orders and directions from Shas Spiritual Leader R' Ovadia Yosef and the Shas Supreme Council of Torah Sages, I would posit that Benizri's conviction is a good definition of the word, "Chilul Hashem" -- a desecration of G-d's name, and an embarrassment to Jews everywhere.

Of course, don't get me wrong; Ehud Olmert's ruling Kadima party is not without it's criminals.

PM Ehud Olmert is currently under 3 different criminal investigations!

Finance Minister, MK Avraham Hirschson (indicted for breach of trust, aggravated fraud, theft and money laundering)

MK Tzachi HaNegbi (indicted, awaiting trial for fraud and breach of trust for allegedly making 69 inappropriate political appointments while serving as environment minister between 2001 and 2003)

MK Yaakov Edri (police recommend indictment for breach of trust and accepting a bribe, awaiting special hearing)

MK Eli Aflalo (under police investigation for bribery)

MK Ruchama Avraham (under police investigation for bribery)

MK Chaim Ramon (convicted sexual predator -- sexual harassment)

past MK Omri Sharon, convicted, currently in prison.

Mighty Impressive.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד