Omri Sharon

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Omri Sharon

Date of birth	8 August 1964 (1964-08-08) (age 43)
Knesset(s)	16th
Party	Kadima
Former parties	Likud

Omri Sharon (Hebrew: עמרי שרון‎, born 8 August 1964) is the son of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and a former Likud and Kadima member of Knesset.

Elected to the Knesset in 2003, Omri became involved in a scandal relating to fundraising for his father's 1999 Likud leadership campaign.^[1]^[2] On July 26, 2005, Israeli attorney general Menachem Mazuz announced that he would indict Omri on charges of corruption. Omri had parliamentary immunity at the time, but indicated willingness to stand trial. The Knesset passed a law limiting members' immunity in order to allow the indictment. Omri was formally indicted on August 28, charged with felonies of political corruption and with perjury.

On November 14 Sharon agreed to plead guilty in a plea deal with prosecutors.^[3] He resigned from the Knesset on January 3, 2006 and his resignation became effective on January 5. On February 14, 2006 he was sentenced to nine months in prison, a nine-month suspended sentence, and a fine of 300,000 NIS.^[4] The start of his prison term was to be delayed by six months because of his father's health. A nine-month suspended sentence was handed down to Gavriel Manor, Omri Sharon’s associate in the affair.

On March 30, 2006, Sharon appealed against a prison sentence to the Tel Aviv District Court. He argued that he had already been punished by resigning from the Knesset. He cited his mother's death as reason for a more lenient sentence and expressed regret for his actions.^[5]

Critics accused Sharon and his father, Ariel Sharon, of nepotism, especially when Ariel sent Omri as his unofficial representative for talks with members of the Palestinian Authority.