"Time9 defends $50M suit

Press, 15 November 1984, Page 6

"Time 9 defends $50M suit

NZPA-Reuter New York

Ariel Sharon’s SUSSO million libel suit against “Time” magazine went to trial yesterday, his lawyer saying that the former Israeli Defence Minister had, in effect, been accused of participating in mass murder. Mr Sharon sat impassively in the front row of spectators in a packed courtroom as his lawyer, Milton Gould, detailed events that led to the massacre of hundreds of civilians in two Palestinian refugee camps in west Beirut in September, 1982. In pre-trial sparring with “Time” lawyers, he said, “I brought it (the suit) to court because I knew the day must come and steps must be taken that you will never dare again libel, not the Jewish people, not Israel, and not me ...”

He alleges that “Time” had libelled him by saying that a secret section‘.of an

official Israeli inquiry into the massacre had detailed a meeting he had had, in which he “reportedly” had discussed the need for revenge with the family of the assassinated president-elect, Bashir Gemayel. More than 500 refugees in west Beirut’s Sabra and

Shatila refugee camps were killed by invading Christian forces two days after Mr Gemayel’s death. Although Israel has refused to release Appendix B of the official Kahan commission inquiry, Mr Sharon, who is now Israel’s industry Minister, plans to present witnesses who had read it and will testify that it does not contain the allegations. Mr Gould told the Federal' Court jury yesterday that “Time” had, in effect, accused Mr Sharon of plotting the mass murder of Palestinian refugees. In an impassioned and often sarcastic three-hour opening statement, he said that “Time’s” wording in a single paragraph meant “that Ariel Sharon instituted, encouraged, promoted, and authorised the massacre of innocent civilians. “In plain English, it is an accusation of mass mur-

The paragraph said that “Time” had learned that the commission report said that Mr Sharon had told Mr Gemayel’s family that Israeli forces were about to move into west Beirut and had discussed with them the need to take revenge. The Kahan commission found that Mr Sharon had an indirect responsibility for the massacre because he did not anticipate what would happen if Christian forces went into the camps. “Time’s” lawyer, Thomas Barr, denied that the news magazine had said that Mr Sharon “promoted, encouraged or authorised the massacre.” Mr Sharon, who has mortgaged his home to help finance his suit, smiled broadly yesterday, as his lawyer criticised “Time,” calling its reporter, David Halevy, a “liar” whose work was distrusted by his editors. ip