UPDATE 2 -- Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon dead at 85

[News_Editor]

RAMAT GAN, ISRAEL (BNO NEWS) -- Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, considered by many as having been one of Israel's finest military commanders, died on Saturday, more than eight years after a massive stroke and brain hemorrhage left him in a permanent vegetative state. He was 85.

Sharon died at around 2 p.m. local time on Saturday at Chaim Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv after his condition sharply deteriorated in recent days, caused by the onset of a blood infection and the failure of several key organs that included his kidney. His son Gilad confirmed the news saying, "He's gone."

The hospital had said earlier this week that the politician was in a "grave" condition, using a Hebrew term that means a patient is close to death. "His condition is described as grave and his family is at his side at all times," a hospital spokesperson had said on Thursday after his condition deteriorated further.

During a news briefing last week, hospital director Dr. Zeev Rotstein said Sharon's condition was deteriorating slowly. "Ariel Sharon is not suffering. He is receiving maintenance treatment by his physician," Rotstein explained on January 3, adding that he believed Sharon was in his final days.

Test results last week showed that Sharon was suffering from a blood infection in addition to the continuing decline of several key organs. But Rotstein later said the former prime minister was fighting "against all odds" and that doctors had been able to stabilize Sharon's blood pressure and pulse.

Sharon 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.

During a news conference last week, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry praised the former prime minister and said his thoughts are with Sharon's family. "We remember his contributions, sacrifices he made to ensure the survival and the well-being of Israel, and I have many personal thoughts about my meetings with him on many different occasions - always robust and strong and clear about his positions," Kerry said.

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[Steely Dan]

A great military brain and a man unfairly vilified by the left, for anyone else with an open mind here is an article to balance the inevitable outpourings of venom.

http://www.thecommentator.com/article/4592/israel_s_sharon_a_man_more_sinned_against_than_sinning

Ariel Sharon, who died on Saturday, was a victim of hysteria among far too many in the West, especially Europe. It is the tragedy of the Palestinians that Sharon's pragmatism, like that of his predecessors, was never matched by their own leaders

[Johpa]

Oh please, indeed a brilliant military tactician, Sharon, along with his political mentor Begin, were responsible for the politics of failure, ably assisted by his even more politically inept counter-part Arafat.

[Ulysses G.]

A great general. He made a mistake by underestimating the foolish recalcitrance of the Palestinian Arabs, but at least he attempted to make peace.

[Prbkk]

I don't like to speak ill of the dead, but I'm not sad that this murderous monster is gone. A hateful vindictive thug responsible for untold misery . He will not be missed.

[Jingthing]

I'd say R.I.P. but he already has been for eight years!

Sharon is now dead, he wasn't all bad and wasn't all good, but he was clearly a man who loved Israel and yes many (but certainly not all) Israelis loved him back.

Such is politics.

Long Live Israel and the Jewish people that are the reason for it's existence.

[geriatrickid]

I don't like to speak ill of the dead, but I'm not sad that this murderous monster is gone. A hateful vindictive thug responsible for untold misery . He will not be missed.

On the contrary, I think the situation would have been very different had he lived. He was the man that handed Gaza to the Palestinian Admin and he was planning for an even bigger move when he had his stroke. The political vacuum he left led to disarray on Israeli politics for years culminating with the re-ascent of Netanyahu. I dare say, we may have had a viable peace deal by now had he lived ,as many years were lost while the Israelis sorted out their internal political feuds and the Palestinian leadership succumbed to its own feuding.

[Jingthing]

Agreed. But we'll never know. Time for the LIVING to deal with the mess there now.

[watcharacters]

Incredible!

If I were kept alive as he was I'd like all participants shot.

And in Western countries we wonder why health care is so expensive.

Hello???

Have we connected the dots?

[Jingthing]

Yeah, that was crazy.

On the other hand I don't know if the docs had concluded there was never going to be any chance of revival or not. So if they thought there was any chance, especially not being naive someone so famous, that would make some more sense.

[tigerfish]

two words, Sabra and Shatila.

i rest my case !

[sirineou]

I don't like to speak ill of the dead, but I'm not sad that this murderous monster is gone. A hateful vindictive thug responsible for untold misery . He will not be missed.

Of course you know the NSA is monitoring tall internet communications , right?

I personally think Saron was a great man and an even greater humanitarian. Israel is a peaceful country unfairly maligned by antisemites

and Ohh, God Bless America , the greatest country in the world

,

[Somtamnication]

As big sharks are heroes to baby sharks, so was he a hero. A vile human being. As an ex soldier, I respect his military background. But it stops there.

Just as the Rwanda massacre leaders, he too should have been taken to the Hague for Sabra and Shatila (sp).

[Scott]

Topic here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/696004-update-3-former-israeli-prime-minister-ariel-sharon-dead-at-85/

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