Israel PM faces resignation calls

Sharon says he will serve out his term

An Israeli Cabinet minister has led calls for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to step down amid reports that he may be charged in a corruption case.

"Under such circumstances, the prime minister should resign," Infrastructure Minister Yosef Paritzky said.

Members of the opposition Labour and Yahad parties have made similar calls.

On Saturday, Israeli media said State Attorney Edna Arbel had concluded there were sufficient grounds to charge Mr Sharon, who denies any wrongdoing.

The prime minister is being investigated for possible bribery.

The allegations centre on large sums a developer is said to have paid Mr Sharon's son Gilad in connection with a property deal.

Mr Sharon's office has not commented on the media report, but a lawyer for the prime minister called the draft leak a politically-motivated "media manipulation attempt".

The final decision whether to press charges against the prime minister rests with Attorney General Menachem Mazuz.

A decision is expected in April.

Fight from home

"I would expect him to say today that he is ready to go home and fight from there to prove his innocence," Mr Paritzky told Israel radio.

In the end, the attorney general won't be able to ignore the state attorney's opinion Ofir Pines-Paz Opposition MP

The minister belongs to the centrist Shinui party - a junior partner in Mr Sharon's government.

Ofir Pines-Paz, a parliamentarian from the opposition Labour Party told Israel Army Radio that the prime minister had to "suspend himself until the attorney general's final decision is made".

"In the end, the attorney general won't be able to ignore the state attorney's opinion," the MP said.

Yahad leader Yossi Beilin also urged Mr Sharon to step down.

Balance of evidence

The developer, David Appel, employed Gilad Sharon as a consultant in a deal involving a Greek resort in 1999.

Gilad had no previous experience in the tourism industry.

Israeli media have speculated that Mr Appel may have hoped to win Greek approval for the deal through the Sharon family. Mr Sharon was foreign minister at the time.

Mr Appel has already been charged with offering bribes.

Appel has been indicted for allegedly offering bribes

A TV report said prosecutors regarded the evidence in the "Greek island affair" as open to different interpretations.

But Ms Arbel felt that on balance an indictment should be presented, the report added.

Mr Sharon has said he intends to serve the rest of his term until 2007, despite the allegations against him.

He is facing a separate probe into possible infringement of election finance regulations in 1999 and 2000.