Ariel Sharon

Ariel Sharon
Name	Ariel Sharon
Birth date	1928-02-26
Birth place	Kfar Malal, Mandatory Palestine
Death date	2014-01-11
Death place	Ramat Gan, Israel
Nationality	Israeli
Occupation	Soldier, Politician
Office	Prime Minister of Israel
Term start	2001
Term end	2006

Ariel Sharon was an Israeli soldier and politician who rose from frontier settlements in Mandatory Palestine to command formations in the Israel Defense Forces and later lead several cabinets as Minister of Defense, Minister of Agriculture, and Prime Minister of Israel. Known for a hardline security posture, controversial operational decisions, and ultimately the unilateral Gaza disengagement plan, his career intersected with pivotal events including the Suez Crisis, the Six-Day War, the Yom Kippur War, the 1982 Lebanon War, and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

Early life and military career

Born in Kfar Malal in 1928 to Jewish immigrants from Russia and Poland, he grew up amid Yishuv settlement activity and joined Haganah training before service in Palmah. During the 1948 Arab–Israeli War he fought in operations linked to Operation Danny and engagements around Lydda and Ramle. Post-independence he became an officer in the Israel Defense Forces and notably commanded units in the Suez Crisis campaign associated with Operation Kadesh and in subsequent border clashes with Syrian and Egyptian forces. As a brigade and division commander he saw action in the Six-Day War and led armored formations during the War of Attrition; later he emerged as a senior general in the lead-up to the Yom Kippur War, where he commanded reserves in operations on the Sinai Peninsula and along the Suez Canal.

Political career and cabinet posts

Transitioning to politics, he joined the Likud and was elected to the Knesset in 1973. He served in successive cabinets, holding posts such as Minister of Agriculture under Menachem Begin and Minister of Defense under Yitzhak Shamir and others, and chaired influential committees including those overseeing settlement policy. His alliances spanned figures like Golda Meir, Shimon Peres, and Benjamin Netanyahu; he also clashed with leaders such as Yitzhak Rabin over security and territorial strategy. Sharon helped found the Shinui-linked approaches within Likud and later established the Kadima party, reshaping party dynamics in the Knesset and influencing debates around the Oslo Accords and the Camp David Summit (2000).

Role in the 1982 Lebanon War and Sabra and Shatila

As Minister of Defense during the 1982 Lebanon War, he oversaw Israel's invasion aimed at PLO bases following attacks linked to the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps. The subsequent massacre at Sabra and Shatila by Phalangist militias sparked international outcry; inquiries including the Kahan Commission examined command responsibility and criticized Israeli authorities for failing to prevent the killings. The incident implicated interactions with leaders such as Bashir Gemayel and involved coordination with units of the Israel Defense Forces and intelligence services, affecting Israel's relations with United States‎ policymakers, United Nations forums, and regional actors like Syria and Lebanon.

Tenure as Prime Minister (2001–2006)

Elected Prime Minister of Israel in 2001 during the Second Intifada, his premiership emphasized security measures such as military incursions, targeted operations by Shin Bet and the Israel Defense Forces, and diplomatic engagement with international mediators including envoys from the United States and the Quartet on the Middle East. He appointed cabinets including figures like Ariel Sharon—(see note: subject), Silvan Shalom, Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, and Tzipi Livni—and negotiated ceasefire arrangements with factions such as Hamas and Fatah while confronting ongoing suicide bombings and rocket attacks from Gaza Strip. Economic and social policy initiatives intersected with efforts to maintain ties to United States administrations under George W. Bush and to manage relations with the European Union and Russia concerning settlement, security, and peace process parameters.

Gaza disengagement and later political developments

In a decisive move, he initiated the unilateral Gaza disengagement plan which led to the evacuation of Israeli settlements from the Gaza Strip and parts of the Northern West Bank in 2005, provoking splits within Likud and culminating in the formation of Kadima with politicians like Ehud Olmert and Shimon Peres commenting on the shift. The disengagement influenced relations with Hamas, altered Israeli–Palestinian negotiation dynamics, and prompted debate in international venues including the United Nations General Assembly and capitals like Washington, D.C., Brussels, and Moscow. Domestically it sparked protests from settlers allied with figures such as Avigdor Lieberman and led to legal and public disputes adjudicated in bodies like the Supreme Court of Israel.

Health, coma, and death

In January 2006 he suffered a severe stroke that led to a prolonged coma; he was hospitalized in Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and later treated in institutions including Sheba Medical Center. His incapacitation resulted in Vice Prime Minister and acting leaders such as Ehud Olmert assuming duties, and debates in the Knesset about succession and presidential powers. Sharon remained in a vegetative state until his death in January 2014, after which state ceremonies involved leaders including President Shimon Peres, former prime ministers like Yitzhak Rabin—(historical reference), Benjamin Netanyahu, and international representatives from United States, United Kingdom, France, and neighboring states. His burial was attended by military and political figures and sparked commentary across media outlets, academic institutions, and think tanks studying Middle East peace process legacies.

Category:1928 births Category:2014 deaths Category:Israeli prime ministers Category:Israeli generals