[58] Sharon intended the operation to eradicate the PLO from its state within a state inside Lebanon, but the war is primarily remembered for the Sabra and Shatila massacre. Share. On 9 September Sharon's forces carried out Operation Raviv, a large-scale raid along the western shore of the Gulf of Suez. Sharon's plan was welcomed by both the Palestinian Authority and Israel's left wing as a step towards a final peace settlement. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon died on 11 January 2014. Tensions between the two generals followed Sharon's decision, but a military tribunal later found his action was militarily effective. In the Knesset, he was member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense committee (1990–1992) and Chairman of the committee overseeing Jewish immigration from the Soviet Union. Yitzhak Rabin has called Sharon "the greatest field commander in our history". Reactions from Israeli and Palestinian officials, as well as other world leaders, to the death of Ariel Sharon have been mixed. Sharon initially refused to resign as defense minister, and Begin refused to fire him. Sharon's political positions were controversial, and he was relieved of duty in February 1974. Sharon met Margalit in 1947 when she was 16, while she was tending a vegetable field, and married her in 1953, shortly after becoming a military instructor. During the latter part of his career, Sharon was investigated for alleged involvement in a number of financial scandals, in particular, the Greek Island Affair and irregularities of fundraising during the 1999 election campaign. Under Sharon, Israel continued to build upon the unprecedented coordination between the Israel Defense Forces and the South African Defence Force, with Israeli and South African generals giving each other unfettered access to each other's battlefields and military tactics, and Israel sharing with South Africa highly classified information about its missions, such as Operation Opera, which had previously only been reserved for the United States. [80] On Sharon's death, Serbian minister Aleksandar Vulin stated: The Serbian people will remember Sharon for opposing the 1999 NATO bombing campaign against the former Yugoslavia and advocating respect for sovereignty of other nations and a policy of not interfering with their internal affairs. Sharon wrote in his autobiography: "We had become skilled at finding our way in the darkest nights and gradually we built up the strength and endurance these kind of operations required. "I captured him, I healed his wounds. Thus, Sharon is widely viewed as the hero of the Yom Kippur War, responsible for Israel's ground victory in the Sinai in 1973. Ariel Sharon's death prompts celebrations in Palestine. For some Israelis, Holocaust memories are key, Aleksandar Vulin lays wreath at Ariel Sharon’s grave, The Maturing of Israeli-Russian Relations, "India and Israel vow to fight terrorism", "Sharon recovers as chief rival wins control of Likud", "Elections for the Local Authority — Who, What, When, Where and How? Former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, a towering figure in the history of Israel as a soldier and politician, died on Saturday. In 1942 at the age of 14, Sharon joined the Gadna, a paramilitary youth battalion, and later the Haganah, the underground paramilitary force and the Jewish military precursor to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).[16]. "[20], For his role in a night-raid on Iraqi forces at Bir Adas, Sharon was made a platoon commander in the Alexandroni Brigade. [92][93][94][95], According to Haaretz, "The $3 million that parachuted into Gilad and Omri Sharon's bank account toward the end of 2002 was transferred there in the context of a consultancy contract for development of kolkhozes (collective farms) in Russia. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon died on 11 January 2014. On the 30th, Sharon linked up with Eytan near Nakla. Likud, along with the Labor Party, were Kadima's chief rivals in the March 2006 elections. [16] A photo of Sharon wearing a head bandage on the Suez Canal became a famous symbol of Israeli military prowess. During this period he was a rival to then prime minister Yitzhak Shamir, but failed in various bids to replace him as chairman of Likud. Ariel Sharon writes a letter in the Sinai Peninsula during the 1956 war with Egypt in this handout file picture taken 30 October, 1956 and released by Israel's Defence Ministry. [14] His parents met while at university in Tiflis (now Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia), where Sharon's father was studying agronomy and his mother was studying medicine. [17]) Although his parents were Mapai supporters, they did not always accept communal consensus: "The Scheinermans' eventual ostracism ... followed the 1933 Arlozorov murder when Dvora and Shmuel refused to endorse the Labor movement's anti-Revisionist calumny and participate in Bolshevik-style public revilement rallies, then the order of the day. [19], Four years after their arrival at Kfar Malal, the Sheinermans had a daughter, Yehudit (Dita). Ariel Sharon, former prime minister of Israel, was a major player in the history of his country. Ariel Sharon: Israeli soldier, statesman – Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, a decorated warrior who also took steps for peace, died Saturday, … It has its Vienna offices in the same building as Jurimex, which was behind the $1-million guarantee to the Yisrael Beiteinu party. In September 2001, Sharon stated for the first time that Palestinians should have the right to establish their own land west of the Jordan River. [5][6], From the 1970s through to the 1990s, Sharon championed construction of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In the 1950s, the couple permanently left Israel and emigrated to the United States. Accordingly, we have no basis on which to conclude that there was a deliberate plan by the PA [Palestinian Authority] to initiate a campaign of violence at the first opportunity; or to conclude that there was a deliberate plan by the GOI [Government of Israel] to respond with lethal force.[85]. However, the charges were dismissed before the onset of the Suez War. [16] (Ariel Sharon himself would remain proudly secular throughout his life. "[47][48] Notwithstanding, it was completed in spring 1970. Police used rubber-coated metal bullets and live ammunition to disperse the demonstrators, killing 4 persons and injuring about 200." Ambushes and battles followed each other until they all seemed to run together. [16][30][51] Sharon became chairman of the campaign staff for that year's elections, which were scheduled for November. The move was initiated within the central committee of the governing Likud party by Sharon's main rival, Benjamin Netanyahu, who had left the cabinet to protest Sharon's withdrawal from Gaza. Moshe Dayan described it as "one of the best anti-tank ditches in the world. His state funeral was held on 13 January in accordance with Jewish burial customs. On 20 December 2005, Sharon's longtime rival Netanyahu was elected his successor as leader of Likud. "There are our traditional friends," he told Israel Radio. Sharon's resignation as defense minister is listed as one of the important events of the Tenth Knesset. Close. Watch later. Margalit died in a car accident in May 1962 and Gur died in October 1967, aged 11, after a friend accidentally shot him while the two children were playing with a rifle at the Sharon family home. [21] Sharon denied the claims, but Habes was adamant. A total of 260 Egyptian and 38 Israeli soldiers were killed during the battle at Mitla. Thousands of Israelis have filed past the body of ex-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who died on … Ariel Sharon near death after grave deterioration in his condition 85-year-old former prime minister and defense minister, comatose since 2006, suffers renal failure in hospital Throughout the Bible record the number ' 8 ' represents ' change ' or ' a new beginning '. [54] The collaboration in carrying out joint-nuclear tests, in planning counter-insurgency strategies in Namibia and in designing security fences helped to make Israel, South Africa's closest ally in this period. By Dan Williams Reuters\ JERUSALEM Sat Jan 11, 2014 3:06pm EST 1 of 14. However, after retiring from military service, he joined the Liberal Party and was instrumental in establishing Likud in July 1973 by a merger of Herut, the Liberal Party and independent elements. November polls indicated that Sharon was likely to be returned to the prime ministership. ... [W]e were in combat almost every day. Haim Bar Lev, Israel's chief of staff, suggested that Israel construct a border line to protect its southern border. He defended this land like a lion and he taught its children to swing a scythe. It included at least thirty strong points stretching over almost 200 kilometers.[45]. A wall of sand and earth raised along almost the entire length of the Suez Canal would both allow observation of Egyptian forces and conceal the movements of Israeli troops on the eastern side. [60] Nearly all of the victims were men. [88], On 20 July 2004, Sharon called on French Jews to emigrate from France to Israel immediately, in light of an increase in antisemitism in France (94 antisemitic assaults were reported in the first six months of 2004, compared to 47 in 2003). From June 1975 to March 1976, Sharon was a special aide to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. His division managed to encircle Suez, cutting off and encircling the Third Army. [81], On 28 September 2000, Sharon and an escort of over 1,000 Israeli police officers visited the Temple Mount complex, site of the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque, the holiest place in the world to Jews and the third holiest site in Islam. In a move that again thwarted the commands of his superiors, Sharon's division crossed the Suez, effectively winning the war for Israel. An Israeli spokesperson later claimed that Sharon had been misunderstood. More significant were the events that followed: The decision of the Israeli police on 29 September to use lethal means against the Palestinian demonstrators. Prime Minister Begin was also found responsible for not exercising greater involvement and awareness in the matter of introducing the Phalangists into the camps. [65] America sent troops to help negotiate the PLO's exit from Lebanon, withdrawing them after negotiating a ceasefire that ostensibly protected Palestinian civilians.[65]. [109][110], After spending eight years in a coma, Sharon died at 14:00 local time (12:00 UTC) on 11 January 2014. His death received a number of international responses. First, that Messiah would appear after the death of Ariel Sharon. Sharon, whose forces were initially heading east, away from the pass, reported to his superiors that he was increasingly concerned with the possibility of an enemy thrust through the pass, which could attack his brigade from the flank or the rear. The next month, the Israeli Cabinet declared Sharon permanently incapacitated and Olmert became Interim Prime Minister on 14 April 2006 and Prime Minister in his own right on 4 May. [62] Shatila had previously been one of the PLO's three main training camps for foreign terrorists and the main training camp for European terrorists;[63] the Israelis maintained that 2,000 to 3,000 terrorists remained in the camps, but were unwilling to risk the lives of more of their soldiers after the Lebanese army repeatedly refused to "clear them out. His state funeral was held on 13 January in accordance with Jewish burial customs. Ariel Sharon: a warrior blamed for massacres and praised for peacemaking Man who fought bravely for Israel's survival but failed to prevent Lebanese militiamen from … For many years we were in opposing camps, but it's impossible not to appreciate a man who could change his worldview and recognize the correct path for the State of Israel. [71], In its 21 February 1983 issue, Time published an article implying that Sharon was directly responsible for the massacres. "Sharon is like a grizzly bear," he grumbled. In his first act as prime minister, Sharon invited the Labor Party to join in a coalition with Likud. In our opinion, it is fitting that the Minister of Defense draw the appropriate personal conclusions arising out of the defects revealed with regard to the manner in which he discharged the duties of his office— and if necessary, that the Prime Minister consider whether he should exercise his authority ... to ... remove [him] from office."[70]. After Israeli soldiers bulldozed every settlement structure except for several former synagogues, Israeli soldiers formally left Gaza on 11 September 2005 and closed the border fence at Kissufim. [29] Although he admitted the results were tragic, Sharon defended the attack, however: "Now people could feel that the terrorist gangs would think twice before striking, now that they knew for sure they would be hit back. A survey conducted by Tel Aviv University's Jaffe Center in May 2004 found that 80% of Jewish Israelis believed that the Israel Defense Forces had succeeded in militarily countering the Al-Aqsa Intifada. [116] They had one son, Gur. Sharon ordered the rest of his troops to attack in order to aid their comrades. Sharon's visit, a few months before his election as Prime Minister, came after archeologists claimed that extensive building operations at the site were destroying priceless antiquities. The measure was an attempt by Netanyahu to call an early primary in November 2005 to choose the party's leader. The first Israeli commando unit, Unit 101 specialized in offensive guerrilla warfare in enemy countries. [65] The commission determined that the killings were carried out by a Phalangist unit acting on its own, but its entry was known to Israel and approved by Sharon. Israeli president Shimon Peres, referring to Sharon by his nickname, said: Arik was a brave soldier and a daring leader who loved his nation and his nation loved him. [42] His forces did not engage the Egyptian Army immediately, despite his requests. [34], Ariel Sharon, 1989, on his command at the Battle of Abu-Ageila[36]. [24] In September 1949, Sharon was promoted to company commander (of the Golani Brigade's reconnaissance unit) and in 1950 to intelligence officer for Central Command. Five years later, Sharon, who died Saturday at 85, was again barreling headlong into controversy, bulldozing ahead with his plan to pull Israel out … After a grenade was thrown into a dispersing crowd at an Israeli Peace Now march, killing Emil Grunzweig and injuring 10 others, a compromise was reached: Sharon agreed to forfeit the post of defense minister but stayed in the cabinet as a minister without portfolio. Upon his visit, both Sharon and French President Jacques Chirac were described as showing a willingness to put the issue behind them. In the Negev desert, the IDF is currently building its city of training bases, Camp Ariel Sharon. [73], On 18 June 2001, relatives of the victims of the Sabra massacre began proceedings in Belgium to have Sharon indicted on alleged war crimes charges. ", Six-Day War, War of Attrition and Yom Kippur War, 1982 Lebanon War and Sabra and Shatila massacre, Opposition to the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, Alleged fundraising irregularities and Greek island affair, Illness, incapacitation and death (2006–14), CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (, Israel's unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip, United States Army Training and Doctrine Command, encirclement of the Egyptian Third Army in the Yom Kippur War, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority, elected Prime Minister on 6 February 2001, "Man in the News; Laurels for Israeli Warrior", "New Israeli Cabinet Approved by Parliament", "Ariel Sharon, former Israeli prime minister, dies at 85", "To Arabs in the Street, Sharon's a Butcher; Some Others Show a Kind of Respect", "Sharon was about to leave two-thirds of the West Bank", "Scientists say comatose former Israeli leader Ariel Sharon shows 'robust' brain activity", "Israel's ex-PM Ariel Sharon dies, aged 85", "Ariel Sharon, Israeli Hawk Who Sought Peace on His Terms, Dies at 85", Thousands say farewell to Israel's Ariel Sharon, "Obituary: Habes al-Majali | News | The Guardian", "Field Marshal Habis al-Majali – Telegraph", "Ariel Sharon's final mission might well have been peace", "Ariel Sharon, former Israel PM, dies at 85", "Ariel Sharon, the Ruthless Warrior Who Could Have Made Peace", "Ariel Sharon dies: Obituary – Unlike his right-wing predecessors, former Israeli PM was 'a pragmatist who could make concessions without feeling that he was committing sacrilege, "The Rebbe to Sharon: Dont Leave the IDF", "The Alabatross of Decisive Victory: The 1973 Arab-Israeli War", The 1973 Arab-Israeli War: The Albatross of Decisive Victory, Rebbe: The Life and Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History, "South Africa needs more arms, Israeli says", LETTER FROM ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER ARIEL SHARON TO SOUTH AFRICAN DEFENCE MINISTER MAGNUS MALAN, "The Kahan Report, Ariel Sharon and the SabraShatilla Massacres in Lebanon: Responsibility Under International Law for Massacres of Civilian Populations", The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East, "Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the events at the refugee camps in Beirut — 8 February 1983", "The Verdict Is Guilty: An Israeli commission and the Beirut massacre", "Sharon Loses Libel Suit; Time Cleared of Malice", "The Complaint Against Ariel Sharon for his involvement in the massacres at Sabra and Shatila", The Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding, "Elie Hobeika's Assassination: Covering up the Secrets of Sabra and Shatilla", Russia or Ukraine? During this period, Sharon supported the Gush Emunim settlements movement and was viewed as the patron of the settlers' movement. Ariel was born two years later. [11], In the days after the funeral, many members of the public flocked to the burial site, on Anemone Hill, to pay their last respects.[12]. [3] Sharon died at 14:00 on 11 January 2014. The killings led some to label Sharon "the Butcher of Beirut".[5]. The family arrived with the Third Aliyah and settled in Kfar Malal, a socialist, secular community. [41], At the start of the Yom Kippur War on 6 October 1973, Sharon was called back to active duty along with his assigned reserve armored division. [16] The inquiry found that the Israeli Defense Forces were indirectly responsible for the massacre since IDF troops held the area. Only then did he form his own list, Shlomtzion, which won two Knesset seats in the subsequent elections. "[22] In 1994 and during the peace treaty signing ceremony with Jordan, Sharon wanted to get in touch with his former captor, but the latter determinedly refused to discuss the incident publicly. [82][83] They state that Palestinian security chief Jabril Rajoub provided assurances that if Sharon did not enter the mosques, no problems would arise. Israelis mourned the death of the celebrated politician and army general. The cooperative's truck wouldn't make deliveries to their farm nor collect produce. The Egyptian forces occupied strong defensive positions and brought down heavy anti-tank, mortar and machine gun fire on the IDF force. "[79] It was suggested that Sharon may have supported the Yugoslav position because of the Serbian population's history of saving Jews during the holocaust. His state funeral was held on 13 January in … Sharon observed that an "unfettered anti-Semitism" reigned in France. Share. Later in the year, Sharon was investigated and tried by the Military Police for disciplining one of his subordinates. Sharon arrived at the front, to participate in his fourth war, in a civilian car. As a result, instead of supporting and covering each other as they were designed to do, each Egyptian unit was left fighting for its own life. His death received a number of international responses. Neither reconnaissance aircraft nor scouts reported enemy forces inside the Mitla Pass. [15] In Palestine, Vera Scheinerman went by the name Dvora. [69] In early 1983, the commission recommended the removal of Sharon from his post as defense minister and stated: We have found ... that the Minister of Defense [Ariel Sharon] bears personal responsibility. As a result, Vera Scheinerman willed only a small part of her estate to Dita, an act which enraged her. [60][61], The Phalange militia went into the camps to clear out PLO fighters while Israeli forces surrounded the camps,[65] blocking camp exits and providing logistical support. At age 10, he joined the youth movement HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed. The charges were later dropped due to lack of evidence. It was simply a matter of putting all the elements together and making them work. We are against aggressive actions. Sharon wrote of the casualties in the "horrible battle," and his brigade suffered 139 deaths. Sharon said that it would pin down large military formations that would be sitting ducks for deadly artillery attacks, and cited the opinion of Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, who explained him "the great military disaster such a line could bring. On his way to the Nakla, Sharon's men came under attack from Egyptian MIG-15s. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon died on 11 January 2014. Shortly afterwards, Sharon suffered a stroke. close. He was a brilliant battlefield commander. He planned his return to politics for the 1977 elections; first, he tried to return to the Likud and replace Menachem Begin at the head of the party. [86], The election of the more pro-Russian Sharon, as well as the more pro-Israel Vladimir Putin, led to an improvement in Israel–Russia relations. We are against hurting innocent people. [103][104][105] Medical experts indicated that his cognitive abilities had likely been destroyed by the stroke. Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon smiles during a meeting with army and police forces at an army base near Jerusalem in this file picture taken January 5, 2005. Credit: Reuters/Nir Elias/Files JERUSALEM (Reuters)… As Minister of Defense, he directed the 1982 Lebanon War. Shmuel and Vera Scheinerman were greatly hurt by their daughter's choice to leave Israel. the Sharon visit did not cause the Al-Aqsa Intifada. Sharon underwent a series of subsequent surgeries related to his state. Ariel Sharon Birthday and Date of Death Ariel Sharon was born on February 27, 1928 and died on January 11, 2014. N iri was in kindergarten when Ariel Sharon entered his eight-year twilight zone between life and death. In this view, Palestinian violence was planned by the PA leadership, and was aimed at "provoking and incurring Palestinian casualties as a means of regaining the diplomatic initiative.". In the meantime, he occupied the position of an infantry brigade commander and received a law degree from Tel Aviv University. Instead, Sharon immediately returned to work and suffered a hemorrhagic stroke on 4 January, the day before surgery. She reestablished contact after Sharon's stroke. [4] Isaac Herzog, leader of the opposition Israeli Labor Party, said: "Ariel Sharon will be remembered as a great leader. Sharon's stroke occurred a few months before he had been expected to win a new election and was widely interpreted as planning on "clearing Israel out of most of the West Bank", in a series of unilateral withdrawals.[7][8][9]. Ebrahim Moosa – Opinion | 12 Janaury 2014/10 Rabi ul Awwal 1435. Sharon asked for permission to attack the pass several times, but his requests were denied, though he was allowed to check its status so that if the pass was empty, he could receive permission to take it later. His death was announced by … Sharon commanded Unit 202 (the Paratroopers Brigade) during the 1956 Suez War (the British "Operation Musketeer"), leading the troop to take the ground east of the Sinai's Mitla Pass and eventually the pass itself against the advice of superiors, suffering heavy Israeli casualties in the process. Bar Lev suggested that such a line would defend against any major Egyptian assault across the canal, and was expected to function as a "graveyard for Egyptian troops". In Benjamin Netanyahu's 1996–1999 government, Sharon was Minister of National Infrastructure (1996–98), and Foreign Minister (1998–99). [122][123], The Ariel Sharon Park, an environmental park near Tel Aviv three times the size of New York's Central Park which has a 50,000-seat amphitheatre, is named for him.[124][125]. [78] Sharon said both Serbia and Kosovo have been victims of violence. Birthday: February 27, 1928 [44] This move was regarded by many Israelis as the turning point of the war in the Sinai front. I have repeated that at every opportunity, not for journalists and not for popular consumption, but because I have never believed differently or thought differently, from my childhood on. 1,200 death certificates were issued to anyone who produced three witnesses claiming a family member disappeared during the time of the massacre. The company owns farms in Eastern Europe and is considered large and prominent in its field. Getex also has ties with Israeli firms involved in exporting wheat from Ukraine, for example. [1] His death received a number of international responses. They had two sons, Omri and Gilad, and six grandchildren. The Or Commission, an Israeli panel of inquiry appointed to investigate the October 2000 events. Sharon suffered from obesity from the 1980s and also had suspected chronic high blood pressure and high cholesterol – at 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) tall, he was reputed to weigh 115 kg (254 lb). Sharon was regarded as a hardened and aggressive soldier, swiftly moving up the ranks during the war. Sharon sent a small scout force, which was met with heavy fire and became bogged down due to vehicle malfunction in the middle of the pass. Known for raids against Arab civilians and military targets, the unit is held responsible for the widely condemned Qibya massacre in the fall of 1953. He used his position to encourage the establishment of a network of Israeli settlements in the occupied territories to prevent the possibility of Palestinian Arabs' return to these territories. Although the jury concluded that the Time article included false allegations, they found that the magazine had not acted with actual malice and so was not guilty of libel. Communications Minister, who admitted months after Sharon's visit that the violence had been planned in July, far in advance of Sharon's visit, stating the intifada "was carefully planned since the return of (Palestinian President) Yasser Arafat from Camp David negotiations rejecting the U.S. Today, Israeli president Shimon Peres said "Arik was a man of the land. Ariel Sharon (Hebrew: אֲרִיאֵל שָׁרוֹן; IPA: [aʁiˈ(ʔ)el ʃaˈʁon] (), Ariʼēl Sharōn, also known by his diminutive Arik, אָרִיק, born Ariel Scheinermann, אֲרִיאֵל שַׁיינֶרְמָן; 26 February 1928 – 11 January 2014) was an Israeli general and politician who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Israel from March 2001 until April 2006. Retribution was quick to come. Sharon was buried beside his wife, Lily. The Egyptians began firing in provocation against the Israeli forces posted on the eastern part of the canal. Sharon's supporters claim that Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian National Authority planned the Second Intifada months prior to Sharon's visit. In the Greek Island Affair, Sharon was accused of promising (during his term as Foreign Minister) to help Israeli businessman David Appel in his development project on a Greek island in exchange for large consultancy payments to Sharon's son Gilad. He suggested to Simha Erlich, who headed the Liberal Party bloc in the Likud, that he was more able than Begin to win an election victory; he was rejected, however. [89] On 27 September 2005, Sharon narrowly defeated a leadership challenge by a 52–48 percent vote. Palestinian commentators accused Sharon of purposely inflaming emotions with the event to provoke a violent response and obstruct success of delicate ongoing peace talks. He said prior to the current Yugoslav campaign against Kosovo Albanians, Serbians were the targets of attacks in the Kosovo province.