Ariel Sharon bowed to the cold hands of death after eight years in coma as a result of a massive stroke he suffered in 2006.
His parents, Russian Jews migrated to Israel. He was described as one of Israel’s most iconic warriors and controversial leader. For doing things his own way he was nicknamed “bulldozer.”
Sharon’s military accomplishment has endeared him to most Israelis. He has helped expand the frontiers of the Zionist state. He fought all the major wars of Israel from 1948, 1967 and 1973 to consolidate the state of Israel. In both the 1967 and 1973 wars, the divisions he led played a crucial role in Israel’s victory.
Sharon’s entire military and political career revolved around crushing Palestinian aspiration to nationhood. A commission of enquiry in Israel indicted him for 1982 massacre of hundreds of Palestinians refugees in Beirut’s Sabra and Shatila camps carried out by his allies the Christian Phalangists. The Lebanese referred to him as the “butcher of Beirut.” His invasion/siege of Lebanon led to the expulsion of Arafat/PLO to Tunisia. From 1948 to 2006, Sharon’s hands has not stop dripping with Palestinian blood, whether in Qiblya, Gaza, Jenne or in West Bank towns/villages.
Ending occupation was a necessary option. After all, Sharon laid an effective siege on Gaza from sea, air and the land borders. His policy also cut off Gaza from the West Bank creating division among Palestinians. His unilateral withdrawal from Gaza was seen as contempt for the peace process/partners. Analyst believed that, Israel’s security, settlement and religious interest are more concentrated in the West Bank and Gaza was/is inconsequential to project occupation.
Sharon was popularly called the” father of settlements.” Populating Palestinian land with Jews migrants is a basic tenet of Zionism. He with other Zionists believed that the land Israel occupied from Palestinians since 1967 “belong to the Biblical Land of Israel.” Sharon was quoted as saying, after war and military combat, settlements are essential in the expansion of the Israeli state. He helped settled over 200,000 Israeli settlers on the West Bank. Today there are over 500,000 Israeli settlers on Palestinian land.
Sharon initiated the construction of the controversial separation wall surreptitiously to curtail terrorist attack against Israelis. The International Court of Justice and the UN declared the separation wall illegal. The walls illegally incorporated Palestinian settlements and farms into Israel. Analyst believed that, the separation wall tacitly delineated Israel’s borders with future Palestinian state.
The siege on Arafat’s compound in Ramallah, headquarters of the Palestinian Authority created as a result of the Oslo agreement was the climax of Sharon’s disdain for Palestinian cause and humanity. His obsession to kill the Palestinian leader during the siege was frustrated by the Americans; yet, his health deteriorated resulting in his demise. To my mind, Sharon was the first suspect in Arafat’s death.
Sharon fought hard for the security of Israel and killed/maimed/expelled millions of Palestinian to extend/consolidate the Zionist state. The ruthless and brutal means to achieve this Zionist agenda has made millions of Palestinians refugees and stateless. With the connivance of the US/West, the Palestinians who are the victim of pillage and land grab are treated a terrorists while the invaders/Jews that appropriated their land are the new owners of the land.
Sharon will occupy a special space in the hearts of Israelis. Those who perpetuate Zionism and created a sphere of influence in the Middle East called Israel will consider him the most significant figure in its history. Yet on the other side of the divide, the Palestinian/Arab perspective about him was aptly captured by Hanan Ashrawi when she said, “Sharon was the most bloodiest of Israel’s leaders. No scruples, no compunction…killing people, men, women, children, destroying homes…trees, crops and stealing land.”
Sabo wrote from Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria
