Ariel Sharon, the Butcher of Beirut turned peacemaker, dies at the age of 85 Read mo

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It is just amazing that he was in a coma for so long. Although he was a hawk for much of his life he realised that concessions had to be made and handed Gaza over to the Palestinians. maybe if he had survived things would have been a lot different now.

'The only one left is Sharon.' 2005 - Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, saying Sharon was the only Israeli leader who could deliver peace with the Palestinians.

'A man of enormous courage... a wonderful, historic leader.' - former US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, after Sharon's 2006 stroke.

'The first Israeli leader who stopped claiming Israel had a right to all of the Palestinians' land.' - Palestinian commentator Ghazi al-Saadi, when Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip.

'The job of prime minister... changed him, not just ideologically but also in terms of his personality. He was a fighting, quarrelsome man and suddenly he imposed on himself a great deal of restraint, personal control and calm.' - Yossi Sarid, leader of Israel's Meretz Party.

'It is impossible to justify the minister of defence's disregard of the danger of a massacre.' - Israeli commission that found Sharon, defence minister at the time, indirectly responsible for a massacre

'It was a stigmatisation I rejected utterly.' - Sharon in his autobiography, expressing outrage at commission's findings.

'It is not just Sabra and Chatilla. He committed so many crimes against Arabs everywhere... He is truly a butcher.' - Adnan al-Mikdad, a Lebanese man who lost both his parents in the massacre.

'Everyone there should move, should run, should grab more hills, expand the territory. Everything that's grabbed will be in our hands, everything that we don't grab will be in their hands.' - Sharon, as foreign minister in 1998, calling on Jewish settlers to take over as much West Bank land as possible

'If in a few months the Palestinians still continue to disregard their part in implementing the road map, then Israel will initiate the unilateral security step of disengagement from the Palestinians.' - Sharon, in a December 18, 2003, speech as prime minister, outlining plan to separate Israelis and Palestinians to stop attacks and to give up settlements in Gaza and parts of West Bank.

'He leaves behind great political chaos of the kind that I don't remember in the history of the country of Israel.' - Sharon biographer Uzi Benziman commenting on plan to withdraw from Gaza Strip.

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Amazing, nothing!!

[christiefan915]

What I most remember is a poster from the old Netscape boards who hated the guy, and every time someone supported the Iraq war or other actions in the ME, he'd write a rebuttal and end it by saying "go live with your leader Ariel."

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What I most remember is a poster from the old Netscape boards who hated the guy, and every time someone supported the Iraq war or other actions in the ME, he'd write a rebuttal and end it by saying "go live with your leader Ariel."

He was a complex man and no mistake but he showed true mettle in handing back Gaza in the teeth of intense opposition. I would prefer him as PM to that twat Netanyahu.