Festival Drops Film Focusing on Sharon

The Toronto Jewish Film Festival is dropping a documentary on Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon because of security concerns.

The festival’s organizers say the award-winning film, “The Accused,” based on Sharon’s life, could invite unwanted attention from interest groups.

“This seems to be a more explosive year security-wise, so we’re just trying to be careful,” Helen Zukerman, the festival’s executive director, said Friday. “We don’t want it co-opted by some special interest groups that might seize it to make their own political statement.”

The BBC film was to be screened April 23 and was to be followed by a question-and-answer session with its English producer, Aidan Laverty, who is working on a project in Afghanistan and could not be reached for comment.

The film investigates Sharon’s involvement in the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, which was sparked by the attempted assassination of Israeli Ambassador Shlomo Argov in London.

Sharon, who was the Israeli defense minister at the time, allegedly facilitated the assault on the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Beirut by a Christian militia.

The assault turned into a massacre. Death toll estimates range from 700 to 3,500.