Limbo

Bookshop windows throughout Israel abound with tomes about his legacy in both English and Hebrew. There’s Ariel Sharon: A Life, by Yedoit Aharanot editor Nir Hefez and his assistant Gadi Bloom; Sharon: A Life in Times of Turmoil, by former Israeli ambassador Freddy Eytan, and Ariel Sharon: An Intimate Portrait, by Uri Dan, the journalist known as “Sharon’s confidante.” These books have sold amazingly well and have also provided a crutch for those who miss the man who fought in the War of Independence and lived the history of the state from its first day.

The nostalgia for Sharon’s wartime bravado grew last summer when his successor, Ehud Olmert, failed to exercise the same military prowess as had Sharon. As Eytan notes in his book, “It was the first time in the history of the State of Israel that Sharon was not at the helm when it came to decision-making regarding fatal issues and his absence was felt.”

Historian Michael Oren, who was sent by the IDF to maintain contact with the foreign press on Israel’s northern border this past summer, agreed saying, “There was a sense then–and one which still pervades today–that we are orphaned and seeking a leader.” Today, Olmert has the lowest approval rating of any leader in Israel’s short history. But it isn’t so much that he is hated as he is deemed ineffectual.

Olmert often seeks to tie himself to Sharon. He frequently appears near posters of Sharon and links himself with the former prime minister in speeches. Eyal Arad worked first with Sharon and later with Olmert, as Kadima’s senior strategic consultant–a post he continues to hold today. He says, “Given the timing of when Sharon left office, January 2005, he will be remembered on two historical topics: the victory over terrorism, namely Operation Defensive Shield, which proved that a democracy can stand up against terror successfully, and the disengagement from Gaza.” Asked what Sharon’s legacy will be, Arad says unequivocally, “With time, his leadership. Not unlike Winston Churchill during World War II, Sharon was willing to put what was right for the country above everything else, including his own political survival.” Uri Dan, who clashed with his friend over the disengagement, voiced a similar sentiment this autumn in the Jerusalem Post: “What looks now like a mistake, in 10 or 20 years could be remembered as one of the most important decisions that a leader of Israel has made. One should judge Sharon based on what he wanted to do–to take advantage of the withdrawal in the south to hold on to as much of the West Bank as possible.”

REGARDLESS OF HOW Sharon’s decisions will eventually be judged, one thing is certain: He will undoubtedly go down in history as one of Israel’s four most beloved leaders, along with former prime ministers Yitzhak Rabin, David Ben-Gurion, and Menachem Begin. This is a remarkable transformation for a man who was once labeled a “murderer” and a “war monger” when his tough-minded military decisions went against the wishes of peace activists and international politicians.

But Sharon had the ability to rise from the political ashes as he weathered one storm upon another throughout his turbulent military and political career. The year prior to the onset of his present coma found him enmeshed in controversy again, as he wrestled with the thorny political and religious issues surrounding the disengagement from Gaza. Ever the warrior, he did not waver from the path he chose for the state, even in the face of divided public opinion and the looming political peril.

His stroke caught the country by total surprise. Since that day Israelis have waited, wondering if the fabled general, the “Lion” of Israel’s military and political history, will somehow find a way to rise again. Even though his fate continues to remain in medical limbo, Ariel Sharon’s spirit looms large in Israel.

Amy K. Rosenthal is a writer for Italy’s conservative daily, Il Foglio, who lives between Rome and Jerusalem.