Attorney General Menachem Mazuz said Wednesday that he believes the stock affair embroiling Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Dan Halutz should be adjudicated and clarified as a public issue, and not in the judicial arena.

In a letter to MK Zevulun Orlev, who had earlier insisted on opening an investigation into the affair, Mazuz said that the issue "focused on the public aspect," indicating that he does not intend to open judicial proceedings.

Mazuz senior aide Raz Nizri explained in the letter, "it doesn't appear that the chief of staff's actions constitute a breach of securities law, considering the legal definition of insider trading. There is considerable doubt that they fall under the definition of any other violation."

The charge was regularly levelled against the PA by the Israelis but maybe it is time we started looking at the Israeli politicians more closely. Not only this with Olmert but you may remember that one of Sharon's sons had to resign from the Knesset over corruption charges the day before his father suffered his virtually fatal stroke. Both the other son and Sharon himself had been investigated and rather dubiously cleared in other scandals including the "Greek Island" affair. That, if I remember correctly, also involved planning gains.

Those of us in London will also remember how Lady Porter, the heir to the Tesco supermarket chain and former leader of Westminster City Council, fled to Israel to avoid being fined (surcharged) by the District Auditor over the "homes for votes" scandal involving the sale of council housing in Conservative areas on the open market.