Arik (Ariel) Sharon, an overview of Israel's Prime Minister

[judih]

Here's an article from this morning's Ha'aretz ("The Country"), a daily newspaper, concerning Arik Sharon's career. If you're interested, read this excerpt and then click over to the link.


Maximum territory, minimum Arabs

By Tom segev

Of all 11 Israel's prime ministers, none has been as admired and as hated as Ariel Sharon. Ben-Gurion was admired by many, but not hated by many. Many hated Golda Meir, and not that many admired her. Menachem Begin was admired and respected, even by people who disagreed with his positions. Moshe Dayan and Ezer Weizman never served as prime minister: Dayan was admired, but he aroused more fear than hate; Ezer Weizman stirred more affection than admiration. Sharon is admired and hated.

This week, everyone swallowed their hatred for Sharon - even the Gush Katif evacuees. Almost everywhere one turned, all that was heard were the voices of admirers. They described him as a good friend, a warm person abounding in humor and charm, an anxious shepherd devoted to the well-being of the sheep on his ranch. Believers went to the Western Wall to pray for his welfare, children sent him drawings and poems, journalists told about the heart-to-heart phone conversations he had with them, late into the night, how he never failed to share in their joys and sorrows, because that's the kind of guy Arik was. The words "hero" and "father" worked overtime.

On occasions like this, the media tends to fall into political kitsch, but this time it also groveled before the tendency of many Israelis to evade responsibility for what is done in their name and to leave "politics" in the hands of a strong leader who doesn't hassle them with the need to participate in decisions. Five years of terror and subjugation, of the economic crisis and the dismantling of the settlements in Gaza - have made Israel a very tired country; so tired that no one had the energy to whip up the withdrawal into a genuine national trauma.


http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/669647.html