Accusations Against Bishara

I haven't commented on the strange case of recently resigned MK Azmi Bishara of the Balad Party because I really haven't known what to say. Today, however, we finally learned what the charges were:

"Former MK Azmi Bishara is suspected of acting against the security of the State of Israel during the Second Lebanon War, according to details of the investigation against him released Wednesday after a court partially lifted a gag order on the probe.

"The suspicions include aiding Israel's enemies during wartime, passing intelligence to the enemy, contacts with foreign agents, some of which allegedly took place during the Second Lebanon War.

"Bishara is also suspected of breaking the law against money laundering, by allegedly personally receiving large amounts of money from abroad, some of which was transferred during the war last year."

That still seems pretty shadowy, but is all we have to go on for now. Bishara is a controversial figure in Israel largely because of his opposition to its identity as a Jewish state and sympathy for groups such as Hizbullah. A few years ago, some members of the Israeli radical right tried to pull an Iran and disqualify him from seeking office on those grounds, though the Supreme Court reinstated him. With this background, I want to learn more about what was actually going on before I get too critical.