Omri Sharon's attorney argued before the court that the current court date for sentencing falls in the midst of the national election campaign. As Omri's father, Ariel, is running for prime minister as the head of the Kadima party, Sharon's attorney explained, the media will focus attention on the court sessions, which may be used by opposing political parties to unduly influence the election and bolster the public's perception of Kadima as a party riddled with corruption.
Sharon was convicted of fraudulent registration of corporate documents, perjury, and violations of the Parties Funding Law – after a plea bargain eliminating even more serious charges.
The state opposes the postponement of proceedings against Omri Sharon, saying that media considerations must not be allowed to affect the execution of justice and requests that the court ignore Sharon's arguments for delay in sentencing, which they consider irrelevant to the criminal case at hand.
Chairman of the Knesset Ethics Committee MK Aryeh Eldad (National Union) described Sharon's request as "nauseating." Eldad added that, "Omri Sharon is a confessed criminal who committed a crime specifically in order to cheat the electoral system, in order to use funds acquired illegally to distort the electoral system…Sharon's crimes are punishable by between three and five years in prison and he is requesting that his case just be put on hold until after elections?"
Baruch Marzel, chairman of the Hayil (Jewish National Front) Party, responded by filing a request of his own with Attorney General Menachem Mazuz asking that proceedings against himself and members of his party also be halted until after the elections. Marzel, unlike Sharon, is not being charged with corruption, but with charges relating to demonstrations and illegal entry to Gush Katif prior to the expulsion of 10,000 Jews from the region.
Marzel told Mazuz that if Sharon's crimes, which include dishonorable acts and fraud, can be delayed until after elections, his (Marzel's) crimes, which were not for personal gain, should be set aside temporarily.