israel

Sharon on Life Support

By Chris Mitchell
Middle East Bureau Chief

CBN.com – JERUSALEM, Israel - After more than seven hours of surgery Thursday, Israel's prime minister clings to life. But the last pages of the Ariel Sharon chapter in Israeli politics appear to have been written.

With the prime minister on life support after a severe cerebral hemorrhage, officials transferred the powers of the office to Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Early Thursday morning, Olmert convened an emergency cabinet meeting, said they were praying for Sharon’s quick recovery and that the affairs of state would continue.

But Israelis of all political persuasions seemed stunned by the development.

"It is, of course, a tragedy. I am not a supporter of Kadima, I am a supporter of Likud -- but this does not make me happy. It's an absolute tragedy when a prime minister is in serious health condition," said Likud supporter Denis Turner.

By many accounts, Sharon has been the most powerful prime minister since David Ben Gurion, modern Israel's first leader. Sharon's departure will leave a gaping hole in Israeli politics.

Sharon had single handedly re-drawn Israel's political map at the end of 2005. He abandoned the political party he helped form, the Likud, and formed a new political party called Kadima. It quickly became the most popular political party in Israel.

Polls indicated it would easily win the most Knesset seats in the upcoming March elections, making Sharon prime minister once again.

Sharon also re-drew Israel's physical map. He led the controversial pullout of Jews from the Gaza Strip this past summer, and hinted that he would be the one to set Israel's final borders, if elected for another term. Many people believed, if elected, he would try to pull out of much of the West Bank.

Reaction from around the world spanned the spectrum. Palestinian leader Achmed Quieria said he would miss Sharon as Israel's leader. While President Bush says he is praying for Sharon’s recovery, the leader of one terrorist group says the stroke is "a gift from God."

Sharon's stroke comes at a dangerous and vulnerable time in Israel's history. The Palestinian Authority seems to be collapsing, while Hamas is gaining strength in Palestinian areas. And Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons and employing rhetoric against Jews that has not been heard since the days of Nazi Germany.

Sharon's doctors announced they stopped the bleeding in Sharon’s brain, but the effects of the cerebral hemorrhage will almost certainly leave him unable to ever enter the political arena again.

Sharon has survived many struggles - both military and political - in his storied life. While he may survive this battle physically, it appears at least politically, this battle might be too much, even for the man they call "the bulldozer."

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