Ariel “Arik” Sharon was born on Moshav Kfar Malal in 1928. Sharon has a lengthy and controversial history in Israeli politics. His political career fell short when Sharon suffered from a series of debilitating strokes leading to a persistent coma since January, 2006.
Sharon was involved in the Haganah and later the Israel Defense Forces. He fought in the 1948 War of Independence, The 1967 Six Day War, and the Yom Kippur War. Sharon is viewed as a war hero by many Israelis for his actions in the Sinai Peninsula in the Yom Kippur War in 1973.
Although he grew up in a community that strongly supported Mapai, Sharon was instrumental in the merging of several parties to create the Likud Party. He remained affiliated with the right and was a strong supporter of settlement expansion for much of his career.
Sharon held many Ministerial positions during his career. He ultimately became Prime Minister of Israel in 2001 after the collapse of Ehud Barak’s Labor led coalition.
As Prime Minister, Sharon spent time working with US President George W. Bush and PA President Mahmoud Abbas on the United States’ Road Map for Peace. As a result, Sharon endorsed and began steps that led to a complete removal of all Israelis from the Gaza Strip. Though the actual “disengagement” did not take place during Sharon’s tenure, the experience was heart wrenching for many Israelis and the idea split the Likud Party.
Sharon, many prominent Likud leaders, and many prominent Labor party leaders joined together in 2005 to form the centrist Kadima party. This altered the political landscape of Israel and led to a battered Likud losing ground in the next election. Kadima ultimately aligned with Labor after the next election.
On December 18, 2005, Sharon suffered a stroke that put him in the hospital. Doctors scheduled a surgery for January 5th to clear up several cardiovascular ailments, though Sharon suffered major stroke on January 4th that caused major brain damage. While Sharon is not dead, he has been in a persistent vegetative state ever since.
Ehud Olmert took over as acting Prime Minister at the time of Sharon’s incapacitation. Ariel Sharon’s term officially ended April, 2006.
This post is part of a series titled Prime Ministers in History. The series focuses on the lives and careers of the men and women who have held Israel’s highest office.
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