Earlier this morning, doctors in Hadassah Ein Karem in Jerusalem said Sharon's condition of Prime Minister Sharon continued to be "serious but stable." They had planned to ease him out of his induced coma on Sunday morning.
Prof. Shlomo Mor-Yosef, Director of Hadassah Hospital, told reporters this morning that the Prime Minister's condition had not changed significantly over the night. "The parameters that we measure are stable, and this is a good sign," he said.
In accordance with a decision by the hospital's top medical staff, another CAT scan was performed on Sharon this morning. Reporters were to be briefed after the results are analyzed, but in the event, there was no time to do this before he was rushed to the operating room.
This is his third operation since Wednesday night. The first one took seven hours, and the second one, shortly afterwards, lasted two hours.
Reports from the hospital this morning indicated that Sharon's brain stem was not affected, but that the left side of his body, as well as his ability to speak, may well have been.
Rabbi Avraham Elimelech Firer, known as one of the top medical advisors in the country, visited Sharon's room Thursday afternoon. Rabbi Yitzchak David Grossman of Migdal HaEmek - like Rabbi Firer, a winner of the Israel Prize - visited the Prime Minister earlier yesterday.
No politicians have been permitted to visit Sharon, but Shimon Peres was to have been the first one, had Sharon not been taken to the operating room.
Speaking on his Christian Broadcasting Network's "700 Club," U.S. broadcaster Pat Robertson said that Sharon's sudden illness was Divine punishment for having withdrawn Israeli forces and residents from Gaza and northern Samaria this past summer. "Sharon was personally a very likable person," Robertson told his audience, "and I am sad to see him in this condition, but I think we need to look at the Bible and the Book of Joel. The prophet Joel makes it very clear that God has enmity against those who 'divide My land.'"
The Anti-Defamation League issued a statement urging Christian leaders to distance themselves from the remarks. Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, said Robertson's comments violated "simple human decency" and were "profoundly offensive."
But many others agreed with Robertson. The Katif.net site headlined its report on Robertson's remarks as follows: "A Christian preacher says what many Israelis are thinking." One resident still seeking a permanent place to live after being thrown out of his home in Gaza said on Israeli television, "I'm not happy about Sharon's condition, but we see Divine justice here: any leader who dares to touch the Land of Israel is stricken down."
In the Palestinian Authority, reaction to Sharon's illness was mixed. "I am ready with my candies and my rockets and praying to Allah that Sharon dies," said Abu Abir, spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees. So reported WorldNetDaily. Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Zahar similarly said, "We have prepared a celebratory barrage of rockets ready to fire into Israel on the occasion of the death of our enemy."
On the other hand, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) phoned Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and expressed his concern over Sharon's health. "We all hope that Sharon will recover quickly," Abbas said.
Prof. Shlomo Mor-Yosef, Director of Hadassah Hospital, told reporters this morning that the Prime Minister's condition had not changed significantly over the night. "The parameters that we measure are stable, and this is a good sign," he said.
In accordance with a decision by the hospital's top medical staff, another CAT scan was performed on Sharon this morning. Reporters were to be briefed after the results are analyzed, but in the event, there was no time to do this before he was rushed to the operating room.
This is his third operation since Wednesday night. The first one took seven hours, and the second one, shortly afterwards, lasted two hours.
Reports from the hospital this morning indicated that Sharon's brain stem was not affected, but that the left side of his body, as well as his ability to speak, may well have been.
Rabbi Avraham Elimelech Firer, known as one of the top medical advisors in the country, visited Sharon's room Thursday afternoon. Rabbi Yitzchak David Grossman of Migdal HaEmek - like Rabbi Firer, a winner of the Israel Prize - visited the Prime Minister earlier yesterday.
No politicians have been permitted to visit Sharon, but Shimon Peres was to have been the first one, had Sharon not been taken to the operating room.
Speaking on his Christian Broadcasting Network's "700 Club," U.S. broadcaster Pat Robertson said that Sharon's sudden illness was Divine punishment for having withdrawn Israeli forces and residents from Gaza and northern Samaria this past summer. "Sharon was personally a very likable person," Robertson told his audience, "and I am sad to see him in this condition, but I think we need to look at the Bible and the Book of Joel. The prophet Joel makes it very clear that God has enmity against those who 'divide My land.'"
The Anti-Defamation League issued a statement urging Christian leaders to distance themselves from the remarks. Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, said Robertson's comments violated "simple human decency" and were "profoundly offensive."
But many others agreed with Robertson. The Katif.net site headlined its report on Robertson's remarks as follows: "A Christian preacher says what many Israelis are thinking." One resident still seeking a permanent place to live after being thrown out of his home in Gaza said on Israeli television, "I'm not happy about Sharon's condition, but we see Divine justice here: any leader who dares to touch the Land of Israel is stricken down."
In the Palestinian Authority, reaction to Sharon's illness was mixed. "I am ready with my candies and my rockets and praying to Allah that Sharon dies," said Abu Abir, spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees. So reported WorldNetDaily. Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Zahar similarly said, "We have prepared a celebratory barrage of rockets ready to fire into Israel on the occasion of the death of our enemy."
On the other hand, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) phoned Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and expressed his concern over Sharon's health. "We all hope that Sharon will recover quickly," Abbas said.