This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 209.148.198.191 (talk) at 12:56, 17 February 2002 (Added a new section, it is not meant to offend, rather to bring out new facts.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 12:56, 17 February 2002 by 209.148.198.191 (talk) (Added a new section, it is not meant to offend, rather to bring out new facts.)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Ariel Sharon became the Prime Minister of Israel on February 17, 2001. He was born in 1928 in Kfar Malal.
For over 25 years he was a member of the Israeli Defence Force (IDF), reaching the rank of Major-General before retiring. He is particularly known for his daring actions during the Yom Kippur War, when he took the initiative from the Egyptians by crossing the Suez Canal with his brigade.
He was a member of the Knesset 1973-1974, and then from 1977-present. He served as Minister of Agriculture (1977-1981), then as Defense Minister (1981-1983) in Menachem Begin's Likud government. He resigned from his post as Defense Minister amid allegations surrounding a massacre of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon by Lebanese factions allied with Israel (see below), and then served as a Minister without portfolio (1983-1984), Minister for Trade and Industry (1984-1990), and Minister for Housing Construction (1990-1992). Then he was Minister of National Infrastructure (1996-1998), and Foreign Minister (1998-1999). Upon the election of the Barak Labor government, he became leader of the Likud party. After the collapse of Barak's government, he was elected Prime Minister in February 2001.
Role in Lebanese Massacre
During the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, while Ariel Sharon was Defense Minister, a massacre of several hundred Palestinians occured in the Sabra and Chatila refugee camps in Beirut. The massacre was done by Lebanese factions aligned with Israel (known as the Phalanges, led by Bashir Gemayel). Israel claimed that Yasser Arafat's Fatah terrorists, who incessantly attacked Israeli civilians on Israel's northern border, were hiding inside the camps, a claim which many disagree with. Sharon reached agreement with these factions that the Israeli army would only surround these camps, while the factions' forces would enter the camps and treat the Fatah militants within.
Prior to Thursday September 16, 1982 all went by plan. Israeli troops surrounded the camps. However when the Planages went in, they began a great massacre, in retaliation for the killing of Bashir Gemayel, their leader, by a Muslim faction several days earlier. For the next 36 hours they went on uninterrupted. The Israeli military then ordered the Phalanges to leave the camps. Israel claims that the Israeli military was not aware that the massacre was occuring, and ordered the Phalangists to withdraw when they discovered it had happened. While Israel and most Western sources claim that about 300 Palestinian refugees were killed, the Arab side claims that the number could be almost ten times as high.
These events aroused a great degree of controversy in the Israeli public. The Israeli government appointed a commission, led by the former Supreme Justice Kahan, that investigated these events. Their report, which was finished in early 1983, stated that while there was no evidence Sharon knew about the Phalangists' plans (and was in no way associatated with the massacres), his ignoring of the hostility between Lebanese Christians and Muslims was outrageously negligent. The committee recommended Sharon's dismisal as the Minister of Defense.
Legal Issues
This view of the things was also upheld by an American court, when Sharon won a libel case against the Time Magazine, which had published in 1987 a story that implied Sharon's direct responsibility for Sabra and Chatila. In early 2001, relatives of the victims of the massacre have begun proceedings in Belgium, seeking to have Ariel Sharon indicted on war crimes charges.
Other Views on Ariel Sharon and his role in the current peace process
Ariel Sharon has followed a military solutions based policy of no negotiations under fire. He refuses to engage in the peace process until there is a seven day period of absolute peace and quiet in all of Israel and the occupied territories. Many people and some governments (mainly the European Union members) feel that this is an unrealistic policy, that will lead nowhere.
All of the current policies followed by the Sharon government so far have failed to bring about this prerequisite for peace. The current policies followed by him have all been the same: Assassinations of suspected leaders of Palestinian groups (the Sharon government calls them terrorists), blockades of whole areas (including towns and villages), the destruction of Palestinian Authority infrastructure as well as civillian infrastructure (including police and security buildings), continued home demolitions, Israeli Armed incursions into Palestinian territory (in violation of the signed Oslo accords), the confinement of the nominal head of the Palestinian people in his headquarters that essentially amounts to a house arrest, etc... All of these policies have created further difficuly in calming the situation down.
His advocacy of illegal settlement building in the occupied territories, can only be seen as a further step away from peace.
The latest round of violence the, so-called 'second Intifada' started in the Fall of 2000. This was mainly because of Ariel Sharon, and over a thousand bodyguards marching in sacred Arab East Jerusalem. A number of protesting Palestinians were killed in the immediate aftermath of this visit. Some commentators have accused him of purposely starting this event, to prevent the further continuation of peace talks.
Sharon lacks a political agenda. He is a general and war operations are at the limit of his expertise.
As an Israeli political analyst put it: "Sharon sees the many trees, but can never see the forest." The absence of a peace camp in Israel has played into Sharon's favour but lately the Israeli public is wondering why they elected a closed-minded general with no political vision as their prime minister? Sharon is an obstacle to peace for he is the new variable in the Middle East peace equation. Occupation is the cancer and until it is done away with there will be no peace.
Sharon has aggressively worked against the Palestinians in their own land. His predecessors at least genuinely tried for peace and as such helped defuse tensions to a large extent. But Sharon has pursued dirty politics and extreme aggression against the Palestinians, so much so, that reservists from his own Army are calling it quits.
It has been a year since this man came to power, and most people can see where he has brought the Middle East conflict, and to some extent, the entire world, close than ever to a regional war. Undoubtedly his authoritarian military background overshadows all peace efforts. His brutal policies against the Palestinians make the chances of peace very slim, even non-existent.
It seems to most Palestinians, other people, some governments (again mainly the European Union memebers, but not limited to them), and many peace groups (specifically Peace Now ), that Mr Sharon has no intention of peaceful relations with the Palestinians. His arrogance has inflamed the entire region, set peace prospects back years, and is beginning to result in demoralization in the Israeli military as well.