Ariel Shraron
Prime Minister of Israel
1928 -
Born Kafr Malal, Palestine Israeli prime minister, military
officer and politician, former defense and building minister. Ariel Sharon was elected prime
minister in a landslide election in February 2001, probably more as a protest against the lack of cohesive politics
in Ehud Barak's government.
Sharon is by many Western observers considered as a
hardhearted extremist, who under most systems would be unacceptable as a leader of a nation. In Israel, many have over years
come to appreciate his honesty: even if he has a hard right-wing ideology, he always stands by it even if it makes him unpopular.
In his own words we hear:
"I am for lasting peace... United, I believe, we [Jews and Arabs together] can win the battle for peace. But it must be a different
peace, one with full recognition of the rights of the Jews in their
one and only land: peace with security for generations and peace with a united Jerusalem as the eternal, undivided capital of the
Jewish people in the state of Israel forever."
BIOGRAPHY
1928: Born in Kafr Malal in Palestine, with the name Ariel Shinerman. Being born into a family with strong Zionist sympathies, he joined the
Haganah at an early age. 1948: Sharon participated in the First Palestinian War. After the war
he stayed on in the army, and came in charge of intelligence work and retaliation attacks on Arab
neighbors.
1965: With Yitzhak Rabin as the new chief of staff, Sharon's career
could continue, and he saw new advancement.
1967: Appointed brigadier-general.
June: Active as commander of a division during the Six-Day War.
1973: Sharon leaves the army and enters Israeli politics. He joins the
party Gahal, and he was active in the formation of Likud.
October: Commanding a division in the Yom Kippur War with success. December: Elected to the Knesset.
1974: Resigns as member of parliament to take a senior emergency position in the military reserves.
1975: Becomes advisor to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
1976: Forms the party Shlomzion.
1977: Shlomzion gets 2 seats in the Knesset in the elections. — Sharon joins Shlomzion with the Herut fraction of Likud, and
becomes minister of agriculture.
1981: Appointed defense minister.
1982: Sharon is effectively responsible for an attack on Lebanon, which goes on for weeks despite little resistance.
1983 February 14: Sharon is forced to resign as defense minister after heavy pressure from Israeli public and
media
1984: Sharon loses the election of becoming the new leader of Likud. September: Sharon is appointed minister of trade and industry in the
government of Shimon Peres.
1990: Sharon resigns as minister of trade and industry. May: Sharon becomes minister of housing in the government of
Yitzhak Shamir, and he accelerated the building of settlements in Palestine
1992 With the defeat of Likud in the elections, Sharon resigns as minister.
1997 June/July: Heavy discussions on whether Sharon could take the position as minister of finance in Benjamin Netanyahu government,
against Netanyahu's own will. Sharon is also demanding for extended powers, so that he could act with the Palestinian issue. By foreign
observers this possibility is seen upon as a hardening of Israel's politics with its Arab
neighbors.
1998 October 9: Sharon is appointed foreign minister by Netanyahu.
1999 January 3: Sharon's wants to have talks with foreign minister of
USA, Madeleine Albright, but she rejects as a reaction to Israel not
fulfilling signed agreements with the Palestinians. She of course was wrong
in this action.
May 27: Netanyahu resigns as leader of the Likud party, and
Sharon becomes its new leader.
2000 September 28: Sharon ignites heavy Palestinian protests after when he
visited the Temple Mount in Jerusalem Al Quds. Without being the reason for the Palestinian anger, he becomes the symbol
for the Palestinians to wage jihad, or "Holy war against Israel.
Obviously, the Palestinians needed no urging to conduct this action. This action
by Sharon was merely an excuse for the uprising.
2001 February 6: After an election campaign that focuses on Sharon as the family man and loving grandfather, he wins the prime minister
elections against Ehud Barak with nearly 60% of the cast votes. He proposes to Ehud Barak to form a coalition government with Barak as
defense minister, but Barak refuse.
As of this writing (Mid October, 2001, the fighting and terrorist attacks continue with The Palestinians performing more suicide bombings, with the Israelis retaliating...as they should.
Since the September eleventh attack in the United States on the World Trade Center and Pentagon by suspected Osama Bin Laden, Israel and the PLO are no closer to arriving at peace than before.
Only time will tell if Sharon's actions will bring any kind of temporary peace to the Holy Land. As Christians, we believe the Word of God....True peace will only come when Yeshua - Jesus - appears on the Mount of Olives, and begins His reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.
We must continue to bless Israel and the Jews, and to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and Israel. This is tantamount to praying for the quick arrival of our Lord.!
Shalom!