Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has suffered another stroke, which has regrettably resulted in brain hemorrhaging. Our hearts are turned to a fellow Jew and pray that he will somehow survive this medical emergency, but it is clear that he will not return as prime minister. That simple fact has thrown the Israeli political arena into a tailspin.
Every man creates a legacy by which he will be remembered. The legacy becomes a function of all that he has done and all that he has achieved. It is constructed by the memories of all who were impacted by his dreams and his actions.
It is also tainted by all his failures and missed opportunities.
Ariel Sharon has done much in his life. He has faithfully served the people of Israel as a soldier and warrior. He had either the courage or the stubborn will to risk an attack on the Egyptian Third Army in those fateful days of the Yom Kippur war. That maneuver turned the tide of battle and the State of Israel succeeded in surviving another attempt to bring about its destruction.
Ariel Sharon understood the strategic importance of placing settlements on the mountain range of Judea and Samaria, which ensured the security of the coastal range from missiles and Katushya rockets. He also spoke eloquently of the Biblical heartland of the Jewish people that was reborn in the communities of Beit El, Shilo and Hevron.
Yet, Ariel Sharon was a much maligned man. Contrary to the accepted notions, non-acceptance by the Israeli media and the powers of the elite in Israel was a source of constant irritation. At a visit to the pyramids of Egypt he remarked to one of his advisors, "I wonder what they will write about me in the future." In a discussion with one of the settlement leaders, he remarked how in spite of his great admiration for the courage and vision of the settler population, the ability to rule in this country will only come by turning to the less idealistic visions of the general population.
Out of that desire to establish a legacy and to access the bastions of power, the concept of the disengagement/expulsion plan came into being. It ensured his acceptance amongst the world leadership. It also gave him entry into the hearts of middle Israel, who were more enchanted by a "man of action" and less concerned with the results of those actions.
The disengagement from Gush Katif has been completed and other such expulsions are being promised. The disengagement did not bring about new prospects for peace, but rather strengthened the hands of terror. It did not bring about brotherhood, calm and prosperity. It rather brought missiles and Katushya rockets deeper into the heart of Israel. In the end, this plan will go down in history as a great failure, similar to the blood-drenched Oslo peace accords.
This too must be part of the legacy.
Legacies are the inheritance of all those who come in the future. Children, students and followers are all called to the flag and legacy of each leader. Their role is to take that legacy and build on its strengths and correct its failures. There are many in this country whose eyes still view the tomorrow with faith and hope. There are many of our people who are still impassioned by destiny and faith. Those people will remember the courage and valor of a man who stood defiantly in defense of his country. They will be moved upon thinking of the man who forged and planted, harvested and built in the land of our fathers.
They will also endeavor to correct all the twists and turns in this legacy that proved to be mistaken. They will replant that which was uprooted and they will rebuild that which was destroyed.
It is our prayer that Ariel Sharon survives his medical emergency and lives to see his true legacy reestablished, and the disappointments and the downturns rectified.
Every man creates a legacy by which he will be remembered. The legacy becomes a function of all that he has done and all that he has achieved. It is constructed by the memories of all who were impacted by his dreams and his actions.
It is also tainted by all his failures and missed opportunities.
Ariel Sharon has done much in his life. He has faithfully served the people of Israel as a soldier and warrior. He had either the courage or the stubborn will to risk an attack on the Egyptian Third Army in those fateful days of the Yom Kippur war. That maneuver turned the tide of battle and the State of Israel succeeded in surviving another attempt to bring about its destruction.
Ariel Sharon understood the strategic importance of placing settlements on the mountain range of Judea and Samaria, which ensured the security of the coastal range from missiles and Katushya rockets. He also spoke eloquently of the Biblical heartland of the Jewish people that was reborn in the communities of Beit El, Shilo and Hevron.
Yet, Ariel Sharon was a much maligned man. Contrary to the accepted notions, non-acceptance by the Israeli media and the powers of the elite in Israel was a source of constant irritation. At a visit to the pyramids of Egypt he remarked to one of his advisors, "I wonder what they will write about me in the future." In a discussion with one of the settlement leaders, he remarked how in spite of his great admiration for the courage and vision of the settler population, the ability to rule in this country will only come by turning to the less idealistic visions of the general population.
Out of that desire to establish a legacy and to access the bastions of power, the concept of the disengagement/expulsion plan came into being. It ensured his acceptance amongst the world leadership. It also gave him entry into the hearts of middle Israel, who were more enchanted by a "man of action" and less concerned with the results of those actions.
The disengagement from Gush Katif has been completed and other such expulsions are being promised. The disengagement did not bring about new prospects for peace, but rather strengthened the hands of terror. It did not bring about brotherhood, calm and prosperity. It rather brought missiles and Katushya rockets deeper into the heart of Israel. In the end, this plan will go down in history as a great failure, similar to the blood-drenched Oslo peace accords.
This too must be part of the legacy.
Legacies are the inheritance of all those who come in the future. Children, students and followers are all called to the flag and legacy of each leader. Their role is to take that legacy and build on its strengths and correct its failures. There are many in this country whose eyes still view the tomorrow with faith and hope. There are many of our people who are still impassioned by destiny and faith. Those people will remember the courage and valor of a man who stood defiantly in defense of his country. They will be moved upon thinking of the man who forged and planted, harvested and built in the land of our fathers.
They will also endeavor to correct all the twists and turns in this legacy that proved to be mistaken. They will replant that which was uprooted and they will rebuild that which was destroyed.
It is our prayer that Ariel Sharon survives his medical emergency and lives to see his true legacy reestablished, and the disappointments and the downturns rectified.