He has woken up the "right wing." He has invigorated the youth. He has created a level of excitement in Israel that is unparalleled! He has brought people from America to Judea, Samaria and Gaza in a show of solidarity and support. He has increased the population in Gush Katif, Sa-Nur and Homesh more in the last year than in the previous five years combined.



His name is Ariel Sharon.



But wait, there's more! He has legitimized the concept of "transfer" (just with the wrong people), has shown us the true colors of his Likud buddies (such as Binyamin Netanyahu, Limor Livnat and Sha'ul Mofaz), has proven that no opposition exists from any existing Knesset member and -- most importantly -- has united the "national" and "faithful" camp into a strong and unbreakable force.



That was no easy feat.



The groundwork has been done. Thanks to Ariel Sharon, the impossible dream has become real. Less than two years ago, we were depressed, beaten and pessimistic about our future. Today, we have hope. Today, we have a vision and today, we have a plan.



The new and exciting energy that exists in Israel will be channeled into the creation of a real and proud Jewish State. The frustrated IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) will soon emerge with the G-d-given Jewish power it always had, but was afraid to use, and the Jewish People will finally rise to the challenge of spreading G-d's light and wisdom throughout the world.



Why all of a sudden? What did Ariel Sharon do to cause this revolutionary and historic shift?



Simple. He challenged us. He put us up against the wall and made us rethink exactly who we are. Are we proud Jews with an unbreakable bond to the Land, or just homeowners who move out when the neighborhood gets bad?



Are we connected to the promise G-d gave to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, or is it all just lip service?



Do we truly believe in the Torah -- and all that it says -- or do we bend the rules for convenience's sake?



And for the Jews outside Israel: do we really consider the Jews in Israel our brothers and sisters -- with a family allegiance to helping them -- or do we just like to visit them on our yearly Israel tour?



Ariel Sharon put these questions in our face. He forced us to answer them. He pushed us into a corner and, like a US Marines drill sergeant, screamed, "Why can't you be like every body else?"



Thank G-d, we answered correctly. We all gave out a collective scream that "We are Jews; we couldn't be prouder. And if you can't hear us, we'll shout a little louder!" We are indeed different and we responded to Sharon's challenge by rethinking our goals, redirecting our future and reshaping our lives. Our priority list was rewritten, and we instantly attached ourselves to the holy Jews of Gush Katif, Sa-Nur and Homesh, even though we didn't know their names.



Our youth, normally thinking about summer camp and swimming pools, gave of themselves like never before with complete mesirut nefesh ("self-sacrifice"). Summer "Visiting Day" took on a new meaning in Israel as hundreds went to jail with smiles and love.



As rockets rained down on Gush Katif, dozens of new families moved in. In Kadim, a city in northern Shomron (on Sharon's hit list) -- with no running water -- 13 families moved in last month alone. And in Sa-Nur, so many new people came that they have been running out of food.



This strength had always been inside of us, but had lain dormant for years. We trusted the leadership of Israel that "knows better," and continued with our daily lives. Prime Minister Sharon changed all that. He slapped us in the face and gave us a wake up call. Had it not been for Sharon, the Jewish People would have slept longer than Honi Hame'agel and Rip Van Winkle combined.



Now, we are awake. The Jewish lion roars and will no longer accept compromises or deals that weaken the king. We have left our national comatose state and are looking for new leadership - one that focuses on Jewish values alone.



We will no longer support the dream of becoming "a nation like all other nations." Yes, we are different and we are proud of it; and we demand leadership that reflects that ideology.



Thank you, G-d, for sending us this wake-up call named "Ariel Sharon". Now that we are awake, please help us stay that way, so that we can bring honor to Your great and holy Name. Am Yisrael Chai!