Why did Ariel Sharon resign as defense minister in 1983?

Ariel Sharon resigned as Israel's minister of defense in February 1983 following the findings of a judicial commission of inquiry into the Sabra and Shatila massacre.

In September 1982, during the Lebanon War, militia members of the Phalange—a Lebanese group allied with Israel—committed massacres at Palestinian refugee camps in Beirut while under an Israeli military umbrella. The resulting public outcry led the Israeli government to establish a commission of inquiry. The commission’s report, released in early 1983, found Sharon "indirectly responsible" for the atrocities and declared him unfit to continue serving as defense minister.1

Although Sharon vehemently denied the accusations, labeling them a "blood libel," he was forced to resign his position.1