Officers call on Sharon to quit

Press, 4 October 1982, Page 1

Officers call on Sharon to quit

NZPA London More than 100 Israeli Army officers - none below the rank of brigadier-general — last week confronted the Israeli Defence Minister. Mr Ariel Sharon, and told him to resign because of a complete breakdown of trust between him and the Army, yesterday's “Sunday Times" reports in an exclusive story. The ' London newspaper said the Army command meeting, at a secret site near Tel Aviv, was led by the Chief of Staff. LieutenantGeneral Rafael Eitan.

It said the meeting, which amounted to “near mutiny." was an unprecedented repudiation of a Government Minister. A series of denunciations by individual officers- included one by the 37-year-old commander of Israel’s crack paratroops, whose name cannot be released for security reasons.

He told Mr Sharon: “I can no longer lead my men with a clear conscience."

The main complaint, according to the “Sunday Times." was that Mr Sharon pushed responsibility .for the events leading to the Beirut massacre on to the Army in order to absolve himself and the Government, and that he disappeared from public view for four days after the massacre was exposed. This put the onus on the Army spokesman and General Eitan to explain the incident..

Despite the officers' call, and pressure from the Opposition parties. Mr Sharon was unlikely to be toppled before the commission of inquiry into the massacre publishes its report next year, the newspaper said.