Ariel Sharon, the former Prime Minister of Israel, passed away on Saturday afternoon, January
11, 2014, at the Sheba Medical Center at age 85. He was born on February 26, 1928, in Kfar
Malal, Israel, to Dvora Scheinerman and Shmuel Scheinerman. He was known by at least two other names: Bulldozer and Ariel Scheinermann. He was married twice, first to Margalit
Sharon (married 1953-1962) and later to Lily Sharon (married 1963-2000).
Sharon was an Israeli statesman, a retired general who served as commander in the
Israeli Army from its beginning in 1948, Defense Minister of Israel
(1981-1983), and Prime Minister of Israel (2001-2006). He was “one of the most important and
controversial figures in Israel’s history.”
He “fought terrorists in his military career and rivals in politics” but
“lost the final battle for his health more than eight years after the stroke
that ended his six decades of public service.”
Sharon’s body laid in state at
Knesset before memorial at 10:00 and a military
funeral at 2:30 on Monday, January 13, on the Hill of the Anemones outside his
ranch. He was buried beside Lily, his
wife of 37 years.
“President Shimon Peres called
Sharon a great and courageous leader who loved his people and was loved by them. He said that Sharon knew no fear and that he
would miss him personally as a friend.
“Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu
expressed `deep sorrow’ over the death of Sharon, once a tough political rival,
saying he was `first and foremost a courageous warrior and an outstanding
general, one of the greatest commanders in the IDF…. Ariel Sharon played a central role in the
struggle for the security of Israel throughout the years.
I chose Ariel Sharon as my VIP
for this week because he played an important role in the history of Israel in
many ways for many years. I believe we should keep our eyes on Israel, not only
because it is an important ally of the United States but also because great
events will happen there in the not too distant future.
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