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The commission's investigation was probably as thorough and painstaking as it could have been under the circumstances, and as expected, it produced a crisis for the Begin government. At first, it seemed likely that the departure of Ariel Sharon could be arranged quickly. Labor Party Leader Shimon Peres told Knesset colleagues that the report was "unambiguous and clear," while the tiny Communist Party wasted no time in offering a no-confidence motion. Amnon Rubinstein, head of the left-wing Shinui Party, said it would be "absurd" for the government to remain in power. But within the Likud coalition, many of Begin's supporters, including leaders of the ultraorthodox Agudat Israel and the Tehiya Party, urged Begin and Sharon not to resign. At a two-hour Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Finance Minister Yoram Aridor asked Sharon whether he intended to resign. Retorted Sharon: "It's not up to me. The Prime Minister will have to do it." Begin then declared: "I will not fire a minister in this Cabinet."
An hour before the Wednesday meeting, Begin conferred briefly with U.S. Special Envoy Philip Habib, who had returned once more to try to help arrange a foreign-troop withdrawal from Lebanon. By now it was clear that Sharon was trying to tough it out. He left the Cabinet meeting to preside over a huge cocktail party in Tel Aviv for the visiting Defense Minister of Zaire, a country that Israel is presently wooing. As he entered the Tel Aviv Hilton, Sharon was greeted by shouts of "Arik, we are with you. We want Sharon!" Among the 500 guests were scores of Sharon loyalists who had been invited at the last moment to give rousing evidence of the minister's continuing popularity.
A perplexed Begin remarked to aides Wednesday morning, "We've known worse crises." Nonetheless, the Prime Minister looked tired and bothered. A colleague explained: "He is in a dilemma. He respects the judges and the judicial system. Yet he doesn't want to fire Sharon. He doesn't want to be the man to do it." When asked why Begin found this so difficult, the minister replied: "He respects a good soldier. And to him, Arik Sharon is a good soldier." Another explanation is that Begin the politician did not want to alienate Sharon or his constituency any more than was absolutely necessary.