Comatose ex-PM Ariel Sharon suffers organ failure, in critical condition

RAMAT GAN, ISRAEL (BNO NEWS) -- Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who has remained in a permanent vegetative state after suffering a stroke nearly eight years ago, remained in a critical condition on Thursday as doctors indicated that a number of central systems in his body are failing.

Dr. Zeev Rotstein, director of Sheba Medical Center, said Sharon's condition had worsened since Tuesday after suffering "critical malfunctions" in some of his organs, including his kidneys. "He is under our treatment but we feel that the situation is critical and some danger is expected for his life," he said.

Sharon, now 85, is by many considered to have been one of Israel's finest military commanders and was given popular nicknames such as "The King of Israel" and "The Lion of God." He joined the Likud party after retiring from the army and went on to serve in a number of ministerial posts before becoming the party's leader in 2000, after which he became prime minister in the following year.

But Sharon's political career came to an abrupt end in January 2006 when he suffered a massive stroke and brain hemorrhage, leaving him in a permanent vegetative state. Some hopes were raised in January 2013 when doctors said the iconic leader had shown "significant brain activity" while viewing pictures of his family and listening to his son's voice, but no further developments were reported.

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