Sex Scandals Rocks Palestinian Government

JERUSALEM, Israel, Feb. 15, 2010— -- The grainy black and white video shows a portly middle-aged man getting undressed and then slipping between the sheets.

A group of men then burst into the room, the man looks startled as the men shout at him and some take photos.

So ended the career of a senior advisor to the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas. Rafiq Husseini was Abbas's chief of staff and stands accused of trying to peddle influence for sexual favors. He was sacked on Sunday pending a full investigation.

A classic honey trap to ensnare a corrupted official, or according to some in the Palestinian territories, an Israeli plot to discredit President Abbas for his refusal to enter peace talks until Israel institutes a full settlement freeze.

Whichever version you believe it is the dominant story in the Palestinian press and the talk of the town on the Palestinian streets, further damaging the already tarnished reputation of the Palestinian government.

The incident took place in 2008 but the video was aired last week on Israeli television and was part of a broader expose of corruption and sleeze in the Palestinian Authority.

The accusations came from a former Palestinian security official turned whistle blower called Fahmi Shabaneh who led an investigation into corruption. According to his story he became frustrated with the level of wrongdoing and the failure of the Palestinians to do anything about it.

"President Abbas promised to take measures within months," said Shabanah, "but in fact, he left Rafiq Huesseini in his post."