Other Views: Sharon and the path to peace
Sharon and the path to peace
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon rose to power as a brilliant military commander and war hero who bulldozed foes. He was one of the chief architects of Israel's settlement building program in the disputed territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Then, in 2005, Sharon made a surprising and daring maneuver to safeguard the security of Israel and guarantee its survival: He unilaterally dismantled settlements in Gaza, evacuating some 9,000 settlers in a scene of high emotion and impressive military discipline.
Months later, Sharon suffered a stroke that left him in a coma. He died Saturday at 85.
Sharon never witnessed the terrible unintended consequence of his Gaza move: the rise to political power of Hamas terrorists. But we doubt he would have been surprised. Sharon championed the concept of disengagement and warned of the dangers of Israel overreaching in the disputed territories.
- Chicago Tribune