NewsMine — war-on-terror — israel — sharon — Viewing Item

Sharon panorama show Subject: Fwd: Israel furious with Belgian airing of BBC program /BBC > >19:17 16/11/2001 Last update - 22:34 16/11/2001 > > >Israel furious with Belgian airing of BBC program > >By Ha'aretz Service > > >Senior foreign ministry officials in Jerusalem are furious over a >Belgian government decision to authorize the public television >station in Brussels to broadcast the BBC's Panorama program that >investigates then-defense minister Ariel Sharon's involvement in the >1982 massacre of Palestinians at the Sabra and Chatila refugee camps >in Lebanon. > >The officials also expressed dissatisfaction at the decision by >Belgian authoities to broadcast the BBC film on Friday, just two days >before a visit to Israel by Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, >who currently serves as president of the European Union. > >Verhofstadt will meet with Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser >Arafat in Ramallah on Saturday and with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon >and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres on the following day. > >The officials also expressed resentment for what they termed >Belgium's "double game" in the country's relations with Israel. >According to the officials, the Belgian government sends calming >messages to Israel in regard to the legal proceedings against Sharon, >while at the same time it fans the flames among the public against >Israel and the prime minister. > >Sharon's Belgian saga began last June. A 1993 Belgian law empowers >local courts to judge persons suspected of war crimes, with no regard >to their citizenship or where the alleged crimes were committed. > >Ha'aretz reported at the end of October that the case against Sharon >in the Belgian courts contains nothing new about Sabra and Chatila. >It quotes from the 1983 Kahan Commission report and other published >sources, including Sharon's own autobiography. > >The Sharon file was given to investigating Judge Patrick Collignon, >who had to decide if it had sufficient grounds for indictment. > >Michele Hirsch, a Jewish-Belgian attorney whom Israel retained for >the case, submitted the defense to Collignon in Israel's name (not >Sharon's), relaying a series of arguments denying the Belgian court's >authority to preside over the case. Hirsch appealed to Sharon's >presumed immunity as a serving prime minister, to Belgium's lack of >connection to Sabra and Chatila, to the fact that Israel had >already "judged" Sharon in the Kahan Commission, and to the >implausible retroactive nature of the claim (the massacre in Lebanon >was 11 years before Belgium enacted the 1993 war crimes law). > >Collignon and the prosecutors agreed to relay the relevant evidence >and arguments to a higher court. The decision by Collignon and the >prosecutors to refer the case to another court surprised the >Palestinian plaintiffs, and the Belgian media reported it as a >triumph for Israel. The apparent waffling over the Sharon case was >taken as a sign that Belgium's legal system was having second >thoughts about the sweep of the 1993 law. > >But Belgian prosecutors announced in early October that they rejected >Israel's arguments about Belgium's authority to try the war crime >case against Sharon, and it would resume. >--- End forwarded message ---

Ariel sharon second stroke caused doctors Ariel sharons shakedown Belgium will try sharon { February 13 2003 } Chirac says sharon not welcome in france { July 19 2004 } Coalition government breaks { October 30 2002 } Corruption charge against sharon dropped { June 15 2004 } Few kind words for dying sharon in arab world { January 5 2006 } Icc try sharon Israel turns right { November 1 2002 } Israel warns of civil war { October 21 2004 } Labor cant join Maximum killing { July 12 2002 } Most israelis want sharon to quit Netanyahu cabinet post { November 4 2002 } Pin sharon { October 11 2001 } Prosecution lacks evidence to charge sharon Ruthless soldier who would promise peace { January 5 2006 } Settlement lawsuits { July 17 2002 } Sharon blocks creation of palestinian state { October 6 2004 } Sharon condemns jewish terror { August 17 2005 } Sharon fetid strink { February 6 2001 } Sharon finalize gov without labor Sharon panorama show Sharon probed in bribery case { January 22 2004 } Sharon scandal election Sharon warns not to appease arabs { October 5 2001 } Sharon warns { October 5 2001 } Sharon witness Sharon wont resign after gaza defeat { May 3 2004 } Stanley cohen Tried for genocide Files Listed: 31

Correction/submissions

CIA FOIA Archive

National Security Archives

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information, go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purpose of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.