Ariel Sharon

Ariel Sharon
Born	Ariel Scheinerman 2/26/1928
Birthplace	Kfar Malal, Palestine
Died	1/11/2014 Ramat Gan, Israel
Nationality	Israeli
Occupation	Military officer, politician
Known for	Prime Minister of Israel (2001–2006), Israeli disengagement from Gaza, 1982 Lebanon War
Spouse(s)	Margalit Sharon (m. 1953; d. 1962) Lily Sharon (m. 1963; d. 2000)
Children	3
Awards	Medal of Distinguished Service

Ariel Sharon (אֲרִיאֵל שָׁרוֹן (Hebrew: אֲרִיאֵל שָׁרוֹן); born Ariel Scheinerman; 26 February 1928 – 11 January 2014), commonly known as Arik, was an Israeli general and politician who served as Prime Minister of Israel from March 2001 until April 2006. Few figures in Israeli and Middle Eastern history have been so consequential or so controversial. Sharon's life traced an arc from the battlefields of Israel's founding war in 1948 through decades of military command and political leadership that fundamentally shaped the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. He rose through every rank of the Israel Defense Forces, distinguished himself as a decorated soldier, then moved into politics and held numerous ministerial posts before reaching the premiership. As prime minister, he oversaw construction of the Israeli West Bank barrier and orchestrated Israel's unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip in 2005. This decision startled observers. After all, he'd spent decades championing Israeli settlement construction in the occupied territories. In November 2005, he left the Likud party to form the centrist Kadima party. Then came the stroke. On 4 January 2006, Sharon suffered a severe stroke that left him in a permanent vegetative state, ending his political career. He remained incapacitated until his death on 11 January 2014, at the age of 85. Sharon is revered by many Israelis as a war hero, while Palestinians and international human rights organizations have criticized his actions, particularly regarding the Sabra and Shatila massacre of 1982, for which an Israeli commission found he bore "personal responsibility."

Early Life

Ariel Sharon was born Ariel Scheinerman on 26 February 1928 in Kfar Malal, a small cooperative agricultural settlement (moshava) on the Sharon plain of Mandatory Palestine. His parents, Shmuel and Vera (Dvora) Scheinerman, were Jewish immigrants from Russia who'd settled in Palestine in the early twentieth century. The family farmed, and Sharon grew up in the agrarian environment of the Yishuv, the pre-state Jewish community in Palestine.

Life in rural Kfar Malal shaped him in important ways. He learned the value of physical labor and developed an intimate connection with the land. These early experiences would later inform both his military strategy and his fierce commitment to settlement policy. From childhood, he participated in his community's agricultural work. His parents didn't always fit easily into the collective structures of other communal settlements. They were independent-minded, and that spirit rubbed off on their son.

As a teenager, Sharon joined the Haganah. This paramilitary organization served as the primary Jewish defense force in Mandatory Palestine. By age 14, he was already involved in the group's activities, and he continued throughout his adolescence. Guerrilla tactics. Military operations. These became his early schooling.

Education

Sharon studied at an agricultural school before pursuing higher education. He attended the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he studied history and Middle Eastern studies. He also studied law at Tel Aviv University. Beyond his time in Israel, he undertook military education at the Staff College at Camberley in the United Kingdom, further developing his expertise as a military officer.

Career

Early Military Career (1948–1953)

Sharon's military career began with the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the conflict that established the State of Israel. He served as a platoon commander in the Alexandroni Brigade and saw action in several battles. During the war, he was wounded at the Battle of Latrun.

Following 1948, Sharon rose steadily through the ranks of the newly formed Israel Defense Forces. He became an intelligence officer. Eventually, he was selected to lead a new special forces unit. In 1953, he was appointed commander of Unit 101, a secret special forces unit tasked with retaliatory operations against Arab forces and fedayeen who raided Israeli territory from neighboring states.

Under Sharon's command, Unit 101 conducted the October 1953 raid on the village of Qibya in the Jordanian-controlled West Bank. It was devastating. Houses were demolished with inhabitants still inside, resulting in the deaths of approximately 69 Palestinian and Jordanian civilians, including women and children. International condemnation was swift and severe. The Qibya massacre remains one of the most controversial episodes of Sharon's military career. Unit 101 was subsequently merged with the Paratroop Battalion 890, and Sharon assumed command of the combined unit.

Suez Crisis and the Six-Day War

During the 1956 Suez Crisis, Sharon commanded the 202nd Paratroopers Brigade. His unit had to capture the Mitla Pass in the Sinai Peninsula, a strategically important position. Sharon ordered his forces forward into the pass, resulting in a costly engagement that went beyond his orders from the general staff. Significant Israeli casualties. Controversy followed. This pattern of exceeding orders would recur throughout his military career.

In the Six-Day War of June 1967, Sharon commanded an armored division in the Sinai Peninsula. His division was central to the Israeli offensive against Egyptian positions, particularly at Abu Ageila and Um-Katef. He orchestrated a complex combined-arms attack involving infantry, armor, artillery, and airborne troops in a nighttime assault. Tactically, it worked. The operation enhanced Sharon's reputation as a bold and innovative field commander.

War of Attrition and Yom Kippur War

Following the Six-Day War, Sharon served as head of the IDF's Southern Command during the War of Attrition (1967–1970) along the Suez Canal. He oversaw operations aimed at suppressing Egyptian military activity in the canal zone.

Sharon left active military service in 1973. But then Egypt and Syria attacked, and he was recalled to duty for the Yom Kippur War in October 1973. Sharon commanded an armored division on the Sinai front and played a decisive role in the Israeli counterattack. He spotted a gap between the Egyptian Second and Third Armies. With daring and tactical brilliance, he led his forces in a crossing of the Suez Canal, establishing a bridgehead on the western bank. This move effectively encircled the Egyptian Third Army and contributed significantly to Israel's strategic recovery and eventual ceasefire on favorable terms. Former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin called Sharon "the greatest field commander in our history."

Entry into Politics and Ministerial Career

After his military service, Sharon entered Israeli politics. He played a role in forming the Likud party in 1973, which brought together several right-wing and centrist factions into a unified bloc poised to challenge the long-dominant Labor Party.

Sharon was elected to the Knesset and held a succession of ministerial positions in Likud-led governments over two decades:

• Minister of Agriculture (1977–1981): In this role, Sharon began his extensive program promoting and expanding Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. He used the agricultural ministry's authority over land use to help establish new settlements and expand existing ones.
• Minister of Defense (1981–1983): Sharon's tenure as defense minister was defined by the 1982 Lebanon War.
• Minister of Industry and Trade (1984–1990): Sharon served in this capacity during the national unity governments of the 1980s.
• Minister of Housing and Construction (1990–1992): In this role, Sharon oversaw a massive construction program, particularly of housing for the large wave of Soviet Jewish immigrants arriving in Israel. He also used the position to expand settlement construction in the occupied territories.
• Minister of National Infrastructure (1996–1999): Sharon served under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
• Minister of Foreign Affairs (1998–1999): Sharon represented Israel in diplomatic engagements during Netanyahu's government.

1982 Lebanon War and Sabra and Shatila

As Minister of Defense, Sharon was the principal architect of Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon, initially called "Operation Peace for Galilee." The stated objective was to push Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) forces back from the Israeli border. But under Sharon's direction, the operation expanded far beyond its original scope. A full advance to Beirut. An attempt to reshape Lebanon's political order.

September 1982 brought the worst. Lebanese Phalangist militia forces entered the Sabra and Shatila Palestinian refugee camps in Beirut and massacred civilians. Israeli forces surrounded the camps and controlled access. Estimates of victims range from several hundred to over a thousand.

The Israeli government established the Kahan Commission of Inquiry to investigate what happened. The commission's report came in February 1983. It found that Sharon bore "personal responsibility" for the massacre, stating he'd failed to take adequate measures to prevent the foreseeable violence when he allowed the Phalangist militia into the camps. The commission recommended his removal from the post of Minister of Defense. Sharon was forced to resign as defense minister, though he remained in the cabinet in other roles. Among Arabs, Sharon became widely known as the "Butcher of Beirut" as a result of the massacre and his role in the Lebanon War.

Settlement Policy

From the 1970s through the 1990s, Sharon was one of the most prominent advocates of Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Through his various ministerial positions (Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Housing and Construction, Minister of National Infrastructure), he directed and supported the establishment of numerous settlements throughout the occupied territories. Sharon viewed the settlements as essential to Israel's security and to establishing permanent Israeli control over strategically important areas.

Leader of Likud and the Temple Mount Visit

Sharon became the leader of the Likud party on 6 July 1999, succeeding Benjamin Netanyahu, who'd stepped down after losing the 1999 elections.

On 28 September 2000, as the lead-up to the 2001 prime ministerial election unfolded, Sharon made a visit to the Temple Mount (known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif or Al-Aqsa compound) in Jerusalem, accompanied by a large security contingent. Palestinians and much of the international community saw it as a deliberate provocation, and it's widely cited as a triggering event for the Second Intifada, the Palestinian uprising that would continue for several years and result in thousands of casualties on both sides.

Prime Minister (2001–2006)

Sharon defeated incumbent Prime Minister Ehud Barak in a special election held on 6 February 2001, winning by a significant margin amid the violence of the Second Intifada. He took office on 7 March 2001. Moshe Katsav served as President and Ehud Olmert as his deputy.

As prime minister, Sharon adopted a hardline approach to the Second Intifada, authorizing large-scale military operations in the West Bank. Operation Defensive Shield in 2002 involved the reoccupation of major Palestinian cities. He also authorized a policy of targeted killings of Palestinian militant leaders.

West Bank Barrier

In 2002–2003, Sharon's government began construction of the Israeli West Bank barrier, a system of walls, fences, and checkpoints running roughly along the boundary between Israel and the West Bank. In many areas, though, it deviated significantly into Palestinian territory. The Israeli government stated that the barrier was necessary to prevent suicide bombings and other attacks, which had killed hundreds of Israeli civilians during the Second Intifada. Critics, including the International Court of Justice in a 2004 advisory opinion, argued that the barrier constituted an illegal annexation of Palestinian land and severely restricted Palestinian movement and access to resources.

Gaza Disengagement

In a move that startled many observers given his history as the foremost champion of Israeli settlements, Sharon announced in 2003 his plan for Israel's unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip. The plan called for the removal of all Israeli settlements and military installations from Gaza, plus four settlements in the northern West Bank.

The disengagement was carried out in August 2005. Approximately 8,000 Israeli settlers were evacuated from 21 settlements in Gaza and four in the West Bank. The IDF accomplished the withdrawal, and in some cases, faced fierce resistance from settlers. The disengagement was a defining act of Sharon's premiership and generated intense political controversy within Israel, particularly within his own Likud party, where many members opposed the withdrawal.

Formation of Kadima

Facing stiff opposition to the Gaza disengagement within Likud, Sharon left the party in November 2005 to form a new centrist party called Kadima, which means "Forward" in Hebrew. Several prominent politicians from both Likud and the Labor Party joined him. Sharon was widely expected to win the upcoming March 2006 elections. Many analysts interpreted his actions as setting the stage for further unilateral withdrawals from parts of the West Bank.

Stroke and Death

On 4 January 2006, Sharon suffered a severe hemorrhagic stroke that caused extensive brain damage. He was rushed to Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem, where he underwent emergency surgery. The stroke left him in a coma, and he subsequently entered a permanent vegetative state from which he never recovered.

Following his incapacitation, Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert assumed the role of Acting Prime Minister and subsequently led Kadima to victory in the March 2006 elections, formally succeeding Sharon as prime minister on 14 April 2006.

Sharon remained in a vegetative state for eight years, initially at Hadassah Medical Center and later at the Chaim Sheba Medical Center at Tel HaShomer in Ramat Gan. He died on 11 January 2014 at the age of 85.

Personal Life

Sharon married Margalit Zimmerman in 1953. The couple had one son, Gur. Margalit was killed in an automobile accident in 1962. Their son Gur died in 1967 at the age of 11, from a gunshot wound in a firearm accident at the family's ranch.

In 1963, Sharon married Margalit's younger sister, Lily. They had two sons together, Omri and Gilad. Lily Sharon died of lung cancer in March 2000, less than a year before Sharon became prime minister.

Sharon maintained a ranch in the Negev desert, near the town of Sderot, where he raised cattle and farmed. The ranch, known as Havat Hashikmim (Sycamore Ranch), became a defining feature of his personal identity and public image, reinforcing his connection to the land and the agricultural roots of his upbringing in Kfar Malal.

Recognition

Sharon's military career earned him numerous commendations from the Israel Defense Forces. He received the Medal of Distinguished Service for his role in the Yom Kippur War, particularly for his leadership during the crossing of the Suez Canal.

His funeral, held on 13 January 2014, was attended by numerous world leaders and dignitaries. The ceremony took place at the Knesset in Jerusalem, followed by burial at the family ranch in the Negev. Vice President Joe Biden led the United States delegation, and representatives from numerous countries attended.

International figures paid tribute to Sharon following his death. Serbian Minister Aleksandar Vulin later laid a wreath at Sharon's grave, reflecting the diplomatic ties Sharon had cultivated during his career.

Legacy

Ariel Sharon remains one of the most polarizing figures in Middle Eastern history. His career spanned nearly the entire history of the State of Israel, from its founding war in 1948 to the political realignments of the early twenty-first century.

Within Israel, Sharon is broadly regarded as a military hero whose battlefield innovations and personal bravery contributed to Israeli security at critical junctures. His crossing of the Suez Canal during the 1973 Yom Kippur War is considered one of the decisive military operations of the conflict and cemented his status as a national figure. Yitzhak Rabin's assessment of him as "the greatest field commander in our history" is frequently cited in Israeli discourse about his legacy.

His political legacy is more complex. Sharon's decades-long promotion of Israeli settlements in the occupied territories shaped the physical and demographic makeup of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in ways that continued to define the Israeli–Palestinian conflict long after his departure from public life. His decision to carry out the Gaza disengagement in 2005 represented a dramatic reversal of his previous policy and remains debated among analysts. Some interpreted it as evidence of a genuine strategic reassessment; others viewed it as a tactical maneuver designed to strengthen Israel's hold on the West Bank by withdrawing from the less strategically valuable Gaza Strip.

Among Palestinians and in much of the Arab world, Sharon's legacy is defined by the Sabra and Shatila massacre and by the expansion of settlements. Human Rights Watch criticized Sharon as a war criminal and stated that he was never held accountable for his actions.

The formation of Kadima and Sharon's apparent willingness to pursue further territorial withdrawals before his stroke raised questions about what direction Israeli policy might have taken had he remained in office. His incapacitation in January 2006 left those questions permanently unanswered.