Member of Israel's Labor Party, attorney Shmuel Sa'adia, petitioned the High Court of Justice on Friday with a request to disqualify Likud Chairman Ariel Sharon as a candidate in the upcoming elections for prime minister because of his actions during the Lebanon War, according to a report by Haaretz newspaper.
The petition also asked the court to issue an order to temporarily halt all activities of the Sharon campaign until the court reaches a decision regarding his eligibility to run.
The petition was presented against Sharon and the Likud party, said the paper.
Sa'adia contends that Sharon is not entitled to present his candidacy for prime minister in light of the Kahan Commission's findings, which investigated the Sabra and Shatilla massacres, according to the paper.
The commission ruled that Sharon was unfit to serve as defense minister.
Haaretz added that Sa'adia contends that Sharon recognized the ruling when he resigned from his post as defense minister.
According to the petitioner, the commission's conclusion that Sharon is "seriously morally defective," and therefore unfit to serve as defense minister, certainly means that he is unfit to be prime minister.
Furthermore, the petition is based on the ruling of Tel Aviv District Court Judge, Moshe Talgam, who rejected Sharon's libel lawsuit against the paper [Haaretz].
The libel suit was directed at an article by Uzi Benziman who charged that Sharon was responsible for the Lebanon War, which began while he was prime minister.
The article stated that he had deceived the late prime minister Menachem Begin on all matters relating to the war and its extent.
Talgam ruled that Benziman had written the truth. The judge said that Sharon "didn't behave honestly" with Begin during the Lebanon War, and "gave him misleading reports," said the paper -- Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
