A brave leader and his soldier and a daring who loved his nation nation loved him.
ARIEL SHARON, the former prime minister of Israel and one of the country’s most iconic and controversial leaders, died Saturday after eight years in a coma. He was 85.
A legendary general who was called “the Bulldozer” by his critics when he entered politics, Sharon was the architect of Israel’s disputed settlement project in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Sharon squashed a Palestinian uprising during his first term as prime minister. But he later led the withdrawal from the Gaza, handing the territory over to the Palestinians.
Known in Israel by his nickname “Arik,” his career was cut short by a stroke, as he was primed to win reelection.
“My dear friend, Arik Sharon, lost his final battle today,” Israeli President Shimon Peres said. “Arik was a brave soldier and a daring leader who loved his nation and his nation loved him. He was one of Israel’s great protectors and most important architects, who knew no fear and certainly never feared vision.”
Sharon, who was elected prime minister in 2001, had a mild stroke in December 2005 and suffered a massive brain hemorrhage about two weeks later. He fell into a coma and remained in a vegetative state. He faced a setback in recent weeks, leading to massive organ failure.
Sharon continued to fight “against all odds” as his health deteriorated, Prof. Shlomo Noy, director of the Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv, said when announcing the death.
On Saturday, as his heart weakened, Sharon “peacefully separated from his family,” Noy added.
His son Gilad Sharon said, “He went when he decided to go.”
A state funeral will be organized for Sharon. His body will lie in state at the Knesset before a funeral on his Negev ranch. He will be buried near the gravesite of his wife, Lily, who died in 2000. Vice President Biden will lead the U.S. delegation at Sharon’s state funeral.
President Obama issued a statement expressing his condolences.
“We reaffirm our unshakable commitment to Is-