Ariel Sharon: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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'''Ariel Sharon''' ({{Lang-he|אֲרִיאֵל שָׁרוֹן}}; {{IPA-he|aʁiˈ(ʔ)el ʃaˈʁon|IPA|He-Ariel Sharon.ogg}}; {{transliteration|ar|ALA|Ariʼēl Sharōn}}; also known by his [[diminutive]] Arik, {{Script/Hebrew|אָרִיק}}; 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.<ref>{{cite news|last=Lis |first=Jonathan |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/1.546747 |title=Ariel Sharon, former Israeli prime minister, dies at 85 |newspaper=Haaretz |agency=National Israel News |date=11 January 2014 |access-date=11 January 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111174341/http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/1.546747 |archive-date=11 January 2014 }}</ref>

Born in [[Kfar Malal]] in [[Mandatory Palestine]] to Russian Jewish immigrants, he rose in the ranks of the [[Israel Defense Forces|Israeli Army]] from its creation in 1948, participating in the [[1948 Palestine war]] as platoon commander of the [[Alexandroni Brigade]] and taking part in several battles. He became an instrumental figure in the creation of [[Unit 101]] and the [[reprisal operations]], including the [[Qibya massacre]], as well as in the 1956 [[Suez Crisis]], the [[Six-Day War]] of 1967, the [[War of Attrition]], and the [[Yom Kippur War|Yom-Kippur War]] of 1973. [[Yitzhak Rabin]] called Sharon "the greatest field commander in our history".<ref name="Israel page 19-24">"Israel's Man of War", Michael Kramer, ''New York'', pages 19–24, 9 August 1982: "the "greatest field commander in our history," says Yitzak Rabin"</ref>

Upon retirement from the military, Sharon entered politics, joining the [[Likud]] party, and served in a number of ministerial posts in Likud-led governments in 1977–92 and 1996–99. As Minister of Defense, he directed the [[1982 Lebanon War]]. An [[Kahan Commission|official enquiry]] found that he bore "personal responsibility" for the [[Sabra and Shatila massacre]] of Palestinian refugees, for which he became known as the "Butcher of Beirut" among Arabs. He was subsequently removed as defense minister.<ref name=butcher /><ref>{{cite news | last=MacFarquhar | first=Neil | title=To Arabs in the Street, Sharon's a Butcher; Some Others Show a Kind of Respect | newspaper=The New York Times | date=6 January 2006 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/06/world/middleeast/to-arabs-in-the-street-sharons-a-butcher-some-others-show.html | access-date=13 June 2018}}</ref>

From the 1970s through to the 1990s, Sharon championed construction of [[Legality of Israeli settlements|illegal]] [[Israeli settlement]]s in the [[Israeli-occupied territories|occupied]] [[West Bank]] and [[Gaza Strip]]. HeAfter became thebecoming leader of the Likud in 2000, andhe made a visit to the [[Al-Aqsa mosque]], which marked the start of the [[Second intifada]]. He was then elected [[Prime Minister of Israel]] after defeating [[Ehud Barak]] in the [[2001 Israeli prime ministerial election|2001 prime ministerial election]]. He served asAs Israel's primePrime minister fromMinister (2001 to -2006), duringSharon orchestrated the construction of the [[SecondIsraeli IntifadaWest Bank barrier]]. Asin Prime2002 Minister, Sharon orchestratedand [[Israel's unilateral disengagement]] from the Gaza Strip in 2004–05. Facing stiff opposition to thisthe latter policy within the Likud, in November 2005 he left Likud to form a new party, [[Kadima]]. He had been expected to win the next election and was widely interpreted as planning on "clearinga Israel outseries of mostunilateral ofIsraeli withdrawals from the West Bank", in a series of unilateral withdrawals.<ref name=Rees>{{cite web|url=http://www.salon.com/2011/10/22/ariel_sharons_fascinating_appetite/ |title=Ariel Sharon's fascinating appetite |first=Matt |last=Rees |newspaper=Salon |date=22 October 2011 |archive-date=18 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121118155226/http://www.salon.com/2011/10/22/ariel_sharons_fascinating_appetite/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="timesofisrael.com">{{cite news|author=Elhanan Miller |url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/sharon-was-about-to-leave-two-thirds-of-the-west-bank |title=Sharon was about to leave two-thirds of the West Bank |newspaper=[[The Times of Israel]] |date=19 February 2013 |archive-date=21 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130221140742/http://www.timesofisrael.com/sharon-was-about-to-leave-two-thirds-of-the-west-bank |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Terrorism 2013, page 9">{{cite book|author=Derek S. Reveron, Jeffrey Stevenson Murer|title=Flashpoints in the War on Terrorism |publisher=[[Routledge]]|year=2013|page=9}}</ref> Following a stroke on 4 January 2006, Sharon remained in a [[permanent vegetative state]] until his death in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/01/28/scientists-say-comatose-former-israeli-leader-ariel-sharon-shows-robust-brain/ |title=Scientists say comatose former Israeli leader Ariel Sharon shows 'robust' brain activity |publisher=[[Fox News]] |date=28 January 2013 |access-date=12 January 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130129100008/http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/01/28/scientists-say-comatose-former-israeli-leader-ariel-sharon-shows-robust-brain/ |archive-date=29 January 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Soffer |first=Ari |title=Ariel Sharon Passes Away, Aged 85 |url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/176162 |publisher=[[Arutz Sheva]] |date=11 January 2014 |access-date=11 January 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111182224/http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/176162 |archive-date=11 January 2014 }}</ref><ref name=bbcdeath>{{cite news|author=Yolande Knell |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25696601 |title=Israel's ex-PM Ariel Sharon dies, aged 85 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=11 January 2014 |access-date=11 January 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111152524/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25696601 |archive-date=11 January 2014 }}</ref>

Sharon remains a highly polarizing figure in Middle Eastern history. Israelis almost universally revere Sharon as a war hero and statesman who played a vital role in defining the country's borders, whereas Palestinians and numerous media and political sources revile Sharon as a [[war criminal]] who suppressed their aspirations for statehood.<ref name="Human Rights Watch-2014-2">{{Cite web |date=2014-01-1113 |title=Israel: Ariel Sharon's Troubling Legacy is Deeply Disturbing |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/01/1113/israel-ariel-sharons-troubling-legacy-deeply-disturbing |access-date=2022-07-22 |publisher=Human Rights Watch |language=en}}</ref><ref name="HumanThe Rights WatchGuardian-2014-22002">{{Cite web |date=20142002-0102-1315 |title=Ariel Sharon's Legacycannot isbe Deeplytried Disturbingin Belgium, says court |url=httpshttp://www.hrwtheguardian.orgcom/newsworld/20142002/01feb/1315/ariel-sharons-legacy-deeply-disturbingisraelandthepalestinians.unitednations |access-date=2022-07-22 |publisherwebsite=HumanThe Rights WatchGuardian |language=en}}</ref> Sharon was never held criminally accountable for his role in the Sabra and Shatila massacre and other war crimes committed, a fact that [[Human Rights Watch]] lamented after his death.<ref name="TheHuman GuardianRights Watch-20022014">{{Cite web |date=20022014-0201-1511 |title=SharonIsrael: cannotAriel beSharon's triedTroubling in Belgium, says courtLegacy |url=httphttps://www.theguardianhrw.comorg/worldnews/20022014/feb01/1511/israelandthepalestinians.unitednationsisrael-ariel-sharons-troubling-legacy |access-date=2022-07-22 |websitepublisher=TheHuman GuardianRights Watch |language=en}}</ref>

==Early life and education==

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==Legacy==

A hugely consequential figure, Sharon remains a highly polarizing figure as well. While generally considered a great general and statesman among Israelis, Palestinians and numerous media and political sources revile Sharon as a [[War crime|war criminal]].<ref>[[United Kingdom Parliament]]. [https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/21928/war-crimes-and-the-israeli-prime-minister-ariel-sharon WAR CRIMES AND THE ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER ARIEL SHARON]. Retrieved 27 Apr. 2023</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Carter|first=Chelsea J.|date=2014-01-11|title=Ariel Sharon: Hero or butcher? Five things to know|url=https://www.cnn.com/2014/01/11/world/meast/ariel-sharon-5-things/index.html|access-date=2023-07-20|publisher=CNN|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Muir|first=Hugh|date=2005-03-04|title=Sharon is war criminal says Livingstone|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2005/mar/04/london.israel|access-date=2023-07-20|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> [[Human Rights Watch]] have contended that Sharon should have been held criminally accountable for his role in the Sabra and Shatila massacre, and other abuses.<ref name="Human Rights Watch-2014" /><ref name="Human Rights Watch-2014-2" /><ref name="The Guardian-2002" />

The [[Ariel Sharon Park]], an environmental park near Tel Aviv, is named for him.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.jpost.com/Enviro-Tech/Ariel-Sharon-Park-transforms-eyesore-into-paradise |title=Ariel Sharon Park transforms 'eyesore' into 'paradise' |newspaper=The Jerusalem Post|author=Sharon Udasin |date=16 May 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130320014610/http://www.jpost.com/Enviro-Tech/Ariel-Sharon-Park-transforms-eyesore-into-paradise |archive-date=20 March 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Israel)|Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs]] |url=http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/InnovativeIsrael/Pages/Former_wasteland_future_ecological_wonderland-July_2011.aspx |title=Former wasteland, future ecological wonderland Ariel Sharon Park to be bigger than NYC's Central Park |date=20 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309185107/http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/InnovativeIsrael/Pages/Former_wasteland_future_ecological_wonderland-July_2011.aspx |archive-date=9 March 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>