Sharonian evil lives
Stephen Lendman | 14.01.2014 09:35 | Analysis | Anti-militarism | Other Press | World
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon believed the only good Arabs were dead ones. He spent his entire military and political career slaughtering them. He represents the worst of Zionist extremism. He devoted his military and political career to working for a Greater Israel. He believed mass slaughter and destruction further it.
Czech Prime Minister Jiri Rusnok, Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US Vice-President Joe Biden, Israeli President Shimon Peres attend a state memorial service for Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (2001-2006) at the Israeli parliament (Knesset), Jerusalem, 13 January 2014.
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http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2014/01/sharonian-evil-lives.html
Sharonian Evil Lives
by Stephen Lendman, 14 January 2014
It rages in Israel. It's worse in Washington. It infests most other Western states. Despots rule most regional ones. They dominate other parts of the world.
State terror harms global billions. Human torment is extreme. Sharonian evil reflects what's ongoing. More on Palestinian suffering below.
On January 13, Haaretz headlined "Former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon laid to rest in state funeral."
World dignitaries were there. Showing up honored a mass murderer. Attendees did it disgracefully. They have their own dark crosses to bear.
Nations represented partnered with Sharon's crimes. They support Israel's worst ones. They commit their own.
On Sunday, Sharon's body lay in state. Netanyahu, Shimon Peres and Joe Biden delivered keynote addresses.
Other foreign dignitaries arrived. Countries represented included America, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Australia, Russia, the Philippines and Singapore.
No Arab states were represented. Nor China, Japan, India or Turkey. None from South or Central America. Egypt was the only African one. South Africa sent no one.
No foreign dignitaries attended Yitzhak Shamir's 2012 funeral. He lay in state like Sharon. He did so in Israel's Knesset.
When Menachem Begin died in 1992, tens of thousands marched to Jerusalem's Mount of Olives. No foreign dignitaries joined them. Honoring Sharon shows how low they've sunk.
Some Israeli officials bristled because of too few foreign countries represented. Those coming shamed themselves.
Former Swedish Prime Minister/current Foreign Minister Carl Bildt didn't attend. He's an Israeli critic. It didn't matter.
He tweeted a message of praise. He said Sharon "was a great leader of Israel. A brilliant military commander, but also a wise statesman seeing the necessity of peace."
Opposition Swedish MPs were furious. Green Party MP Mehmet Kaplan is a former Muslim Council of Sweden spokesman.
He called Bildt's comment "very, very tragic. This is very, very strange," he said. "Simply woeful that he is acting this way."
Left Party spokesman Hans Linde supports boycotting Israeli products. He called Bildt's comments "deeply provocative."
"He pays tribute to a person who is responsible for widespread massacres of Palestinians. A person who openly advocated the expulsion of the entire Palestinian people."
No heads of state attended Sharon's funeral. Obama didn't come. George Bush and Bill Clinton stayed home. So did David Cameron, Francois Hollande and Angela Merkel.
Sergei Lavrov represented Russia. Tony Blair was there for Britain. Vice President Joe Biden led Washington's delegation.
Others with him included US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro, Rep. Eliot Engel (D. NY), Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D. FL), and former US Israeli ambassador Daniel Kurtzer.
Foreign war criminals honored Sharonian evil. They commit plenty of their own. Biden laid a wreath on Sharon's grave. So did Netanyahu and Peres.
Biden called Sharon "a complex man who lived in complex times in a complex neighborhood." Bidenisms are notorious.
They feature mumbo jumbo rubbish. They're embarrassing. In August 2012, he said: "Folks, I can tell you I've known eight presidents, three of them intimately."
Months earlier he said: "My mother and father believed if I wanted to be president...I could be vice president."
In February 2009, he said: "If we do everything right...with absolute certainty, there's a 30% chance we're going to get it wrong."
He said a "north star" guided Sharon. Deep-seated evil did. He was the butcher of Palestine. He hated Arabs. He deplored peace. He went to his grave an unrepentant mass murderer.
Imagine honoring what demands no-holds-barred condemnation. Imagine ignoring the worst of high crimes.
Imagine Israeli forces attacking Palestinians the day Sharon was buried. What better tribute to raw evil. What better way to express it.
Israeli warplanes bombed Gaza's al-Bureij refugee camp. Civilian areas were called "terror sites."
IDF soldiers terrorized Palestinian civilians. They conducted multiple pre-dawn neighborhood incursions.
Innocent victims were arrested. Children were traumatized. Peace is a four-letter word. So is nonviolence.
Extremist settlers reacted the same way. They destroyed dozens of Hebron area olive trees. They escalated other attacks. One settler child sprayed a Palestinian girl with chlorine.
Settlers terrorize Palestinians with impunity. They attack homes, vehicles, crops, mosques, holy sites, cemeteries, and schools. They commit violence. Once in a while they kill.
Palestinians are fair game any time. Even Sharon's funeral day wasn't off-limits.
They're prisoners on their own land. They're brutalized for not being Jews. They're persecuted, beaten, arrested, imprisoned, tortured or murdered.
Israeli policy reflects Sharonian evil. Before his tragic September 2003 death, Edward Said reflected about news from Palestine. He commented about "frightful images of death and destruction."
"It has been my experience," he said, "to be utterly amazed and aghast at what I have deduced from those details about Israeli government policy, more particularly about what has been going on in the mind of Ariel Sharon."
After an Israeli warplane murdered nine children, he congratulat(ed) the pilot and boast(ed) of a great Israeli success."
"I was able to form a much clearer idea than before of what a pathologically deranged mind is capable of, not only in terms of what it plans and orders but, worse, how it manages to persuade other minds to think in the same delusional and criminal way," Said explained.
"Getting inside the official Israeli mind is a worthwhile, if lurid, experience."
He said Sharon reigned terror on Palestinians "deliberately" and "methodically."
"It has as little to do with the Arab or Muslim supposed propensity for violence as the man in the moon," he stressed.
"Sharon want(ed) terrorism, not peace, and he (did) everything in his power to create the conditions for it."
He represented the worst of pure evil. His policies were blindly destructive.
Palestinians endured his twisted logic. They did it for decades. He attacked what he called "terrorist infrastructure, terrorist nests, terrorist bomb factories, terrorist suspects - the list is infinite," said Said.
Notions of terrorism took on a life of their own. He "legitimized and relegitimized them." He did so "without proof, logic, or rational argument."
Israeli patriotism and "blind support...replaced skeptical reflection and moral seriousness."
Sharonianism reflected "nothing less than the obliteration of an entire people by slow, systematic methods of suffocation, outright murder, and the stifling of everyday life."
Palestine resembles a penal colony. Gazans are "surrounded by an electrified wire fence on three sides. They're imprisoned like animals."
They're worse off under siege. They can't work, move, attend school or do much else normally. They were targets for Sharon's warplanes. Tanks, artillery and ground forces "gunned them down like turkeys."
Gaza is a human nightmare. "Sharon and his sadistic minions prattle(d) on about eliminating terrorism." Human suffering never "enter(ed) (his) closed mind."
West Bank towns are "wasteland(s) of destroyed buildings, looted offices, purposely ruined water and electrical systems."
"Commerce is finished." Children suffer malnutrition. Most Palestinians are impoverished.
Occupation before, during and after Sharon reflects security force terror, "torture and abjection."
Israel is a nation without conscience. Its "soul (was) captured by a mania for punishing the weak. (It) mirrors the psychopathic mentality of...Sharon."
His sole agenda was "kill, reduce, maim, drive away Palestinians until 'they break.' " He took pride in his monstrous abuse. He enjoyed a chorus of US supporters. They partnered in crime.
They targeted Palestinian civilians. They do it today and then some. Defenseless people have no warplanes, tanks, artillery, or other sophisticated weapons.
They have no nuclear, biological or chemical ones. They have nothing but a profound will to survive. They're up against one of the world's most malevolent forces.
They endure deplorable indignities. Most people can't imagine their suffering. Brutality defines Israeli policy. It's always been this way.
It was ruthless under Sharon. Netanyahu mirrors him. In many ways, he exceeds his worst policies. Knesset members are the most extremist in Israeli history.
Occupied Palestine resembles Arundahadi Roy's description of India. It's a "limbless, headless, soulless torso left bleeding under the butcher's clever with a flag driven deep into her mutilated heart."
Muslims are persecuted like Hitler treated Jews. Every day is Kristallnacht. Institutionalized terror haunts Palestinians. Collective punishment is policy.
Normal daily life is denied. Population centers are isolated. Borders are closed. Peaceful public demonstrations are assaulted. Free expression and movement are prohibited.
Institutionalized racism matches the worst of Nazi Germany. Palestinians suffocate in isolated ghettos. Economic strangulation is imposed.
Curfews, roadblocks, checkpoints, separation walls, electric fences, and other barriers obstruct daily life. State terror is official policy.
Multiple neighborhood incursions, land, sea and air attacks, bulldozed homes, land theft, ethnic cleansing, slow-motion genocide, targeted killings, mass arrests, torture, and gulag imprisonment ravage Muslims.
They're targeted for not being Jews. Children are used for target practice. Famers are attacked in their fields. Fundamental civil and human rights don't matter. International law is a figure of speech. It's systematically ignored.
Crimes of war and against humanity repeat without redress. Wanting to live free in sovereign Palestine is called terrorism.
Punitive taxes are imposed. Few services are provided. Vital ones are lacking or inadequate. Palestinian lawmakers are imprisoned for belonging to the wrong party.
Israeli security forces operate with impunity. They maraud, rampage, pillage, vandalize, destroy, commit violence, and murder in cold blood.
They do whatever they want. They do it unaccountably. Israel's fascist government gives chutzpah new meaning. Triumphant wrong over right defines it. So does brute force against defenseless people.
Netanyahu is Israel's most polarizing leader. He achieved the impossible. He exceeds the worst of his predecessors. Israel's far right adores him.
Imagine transcending Sharonian evil. Imagine doing it daily. Imagine making democracy a dirty word. Imagine hollowing it out entirely.
Imagine waging war to prevent it. Imagine lawlessness writ large. Imagine targeting challengers for change. Imagine Judaizing Palestine one stolen dunum at a time.
Imagine driving a spike into the corpse of freedom. It's Israel's version of democracy. It's none whatsoever. It's pure illusion. It doesn't exist.
Maybe one day Netanyahu will be eulogized like Sharon. Maybe he'll be called a great leader. Maybe his "greater Israel" agenda will be remembered. It replicates Sharon's and then some.
Maybe Gaza's siege will define him. Maybe slow-motion genocide his way. Maybe surrounding Israel with walls. Maybe stealing Palestinian land to build them.
Maybe building more settlements than any of his predecessors. Maybe occupation harshness to a greater than ever level. Maybe talking peace while waging war.
Maybe ridiculing peace in our time. Maybe advancing his campaign to prevent it. Imagine all take and no give. Maybe calling himself an indomitable Israeli protector.
Imagine treating peaceful Palestinians like existential threats. Imagine terrorizing them daily. Imagine mass arresting them.
Imagining barbaric Israeli gulag conditions. Imagine torturing Palestinian prisoners brutally.
Imagine murdering defense civilians in cold blood. Imagine blaming them for his crimes. Imagine ruthlessness writ large. Imagine world leaders turning a blind eye.
Sharonian evil defined his military and political career. It applies to Netanyahu and then some. It applies to Israel's far right.
It gives pause to whether Palestinian liberation is more illusion than reality. It bears witness to their longstanding suffering. No end in sight looms.
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http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2014/01/eulogizing-mass-murderer_13.html
Eulogizing a Mass Murderer
by Stephen Lendman, 13 January 2014
On January 11, Ariel Sharon died. He's not missed. A previous article discussed his blood-drenched military and political career.
It did so in depth. It explained his decades of high crimes against peace. They began before Israel's creation. They continued until his debilitating stroke induced coma. It occurred in January 2006.
Sharon was pure evil. He was satanic. He was no saint. A special place in hell awaited him. It now claims him.
His criminal legacy remains. It's indisputable. It's well documented. Eulogizers largely ignored it. They did so shamelessly.
Obama and other world leaders praised him. A previous article quoted them. They ignored his high crimes. They have plenty of their own to answer for. The same place in hell awaits them.
Bill Clinton is one of many US unindicted war criminals. He was complicit in Sharon's crimes. One war criminal honored another. He issued a statement saying:
"Ariel Sharon gave his life to Israel to bring it into being, to sustain and preserve it, and at the end of his long service, to create a new political party committed to both a just peace and lasting security."
"It was an honor to work with him, argue with him and watch him always trying to find the right path for his beloved country.''
Congressional members mourned Sharon. House Speaker John Boehner (R. OH) called him "one of the greatest warrior-statesmen in modern history."
His "contribution to establishing and defending Israel's independence is incalculable, and his devotion to peace undisputed."
George W. Bush called him a "man of peace." Vice President Joe Biden said he'll lead a US delegation to his memorial service.
He'll do so "to pay tribute to the unshakeable partnership between the United States and Israel."
John Kerry said his "journey was Israel's journey. The dream of Israel was the cause of his life, and he risked it all to live that dream."
He did so over the corpses of many thousands of Palestinian civilians he slaughtered in cold blood.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R. KY) said "Israel lost one of its greatest sons and America a friend."
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D. CA) called him "a powerful voice for his beliefs and values." He "always maintained the courage of his convictions."
Other congressional members offered praise. They did so when condemnation is demanded. Sharon's criminality went unpunished.
His high crimes were legendary. Racist hate, mass murder, destruction, and the worst of occupation harshness best describe them.
He avoided accountability. He never paid for his high crimes. Eulogizers have much to answer for. More on this below.
Tanya Reinhart (July 1943 - March 17, 2007) was a highly respected Israeli academic, linguist, author and political activist.
"How did it happen that Sharon, the most brutal, cynical, racist and manipulative leader Israel has ever had, ended his political career as a legendary peace hero," she asked?
He never changed, she said. "(T)he myth built around him reflects the present omnipotence of the propaganda system."
It makes saints out of sinners. It turns truth on its head. Sharon waged war on peace. He deplored it. He hated Arabs. He savaged them viciously.
"He proved that Israel can imprison (them), bombard them from the air, steal their land, stall any chance for peace, and still be hailed by the Western world as" a man of peace, said Reinhart.
UN Special Rapporteur on Palestinian human rights Richard Falk said earlier:
"Nothing has illustrated the pro-Israeli spin in the United States more clearly than the ability of Sharon while holding high office to avoid being tarnished as a civilian leader by his extensive military record of brutality and abuse, which includes well-documented terrorist attacks against Palestinian civilians."
His high crimes were legendary. He remained unaccountable to his death. Falk said Washington forged his international legitimization. So did "deferential media." They're on the wrong side of history. They ignore its dark side.
Haaretz editors shamelessly headlined "For all his flaws, Israel is poorer without leaders like Ariel Sharon."
On the one hand, Haaretz editors discussed his "aggressiveness and bullying." He "repeatedly led his troops into controversial and blood-soaked operations."
"Aggressiveness, hatred of Arabs and contempt for politicians also characterized" his political career. "He was the patron (saint) of settlers...He opposed all the peace accords signed by Israel with its neighbors."
"But the moment he fulfilled his dream and was elected prime minister, his approach changed. With supreme responsibility thrust on his shoulders, he remained within the bounds of power."
False! He was ruthless to the end. He committed the worst of high crimes. He bore full responsibility for Second Intifada mass murder. Sharonian evil bests describes it. A previous article said:
Nearly 4,200 Palestinians died. Included were 866 children and 271 women.
Many more were wounded. Over 3,500 were permanently disabled. Over 550 assassinations were committed. Around 8,600 Palestinians were imprisoned.
Over 2.3 million dunums of land were stolen. Another 73,600 were razed. Hundreds of thousands of trees were uprooted.
Over 7,700 homes were demolished. Another 94,000 were damaged.
His Gaza disengagement had nothing to do with peace. He deplored it throughout his life. He waged war to avoid it.
He murdered Yasser Arafat. He poisoned him to death. Haaretz editors didn't explain.
Since his departure, they said, "Israel has lacked leadership that acknowledges the limits of power, maintains its alliance with the United States, displays political courage in the territories and won't be deterred by the settlers."
Nothing in Sharon's criminal career warrants praise. Haaretz editors reinvented history trying. They failed.
Jerusalem Post editors headlined "Salute to Sharon," saying:
Israel "lost one of the most charismatic, colorful and influential figures in its annals." He was a "pugnacious in (military and) political life."
"(O)ne way or another (he) elicited a curious indulgence of the sort that was eventually denied other (Israeli) mythic heroes..."
"No matter how wayward his conduct, and no matter how much he may have willfully broken the rules, he retained the allure of the nation's favorite firebrand."
JP editors ignored his high crimes. They called him "an authentic native son, a generic Sabra and a popular hero."
American Jewish groups and leaders praised him. AIPAC called him "a legendary statesman and solider, who embodied the indomitable spirit and passion of the Jewish state."
"Because he knew the price of war, (he) was willing to courageously take risks for peace."
"He was a heroic warrior and leader whose life was dedicated to the peace and security of America's democratic ally."
Anti-Defamation League national chair Barry Curtiss-Lusher and national director Abe Foxman said:
His "legacy is a more secure State of Israel, safe on its borders and resolved to put an end to the campaign of Palestinian terrorism once and for all."
"We are deeply saddened at the loss of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. While he has just passed away, it has truly been eight years since we lost this great statesman and friend."
Jewish Federation of North America chairman Michael Siegal and president Jerry Silverman said:
He "was a highly regarded military leader, but he was also a peacemaker. One of the country's most daring and celebrated generals, he was also a man who was able to take bold steps in the hopes of achieving peace."
He "was not just the prime minister of the Jewish state, but a determined and inspirational leader of the entire Jewish world."
"Our heartfelt condolences go out to his sons Omri and Gilad, to the entire Sharon family, and to all the people of Israel."
The Israeli Policy Forum praised his lifetime commitment and "many sacrifices...to ensure the survival and success of the State of Israel."
Robert Sugarman chairs the Conference of Presidents of (52) Major American Jewish Organizations. Malcolm Hoenlein is executive vice president.
The issued a joint statement mourning Sharon's passing. The Conference maintained a decades-long relationship with him, they said.
"(I)n all his positions, (he) never missed an opportunity to meet with the Conference and address us, and often took us on tours to understand better the defense and security needs and the strategic issues confronting Israel."
"There were few in Israel's history who contributed so much to the State, who demonstrated courage and bravery as well as keen insight and incisive thinking."
B'nai B'rith International president Allan Jacobs said Israel lost a leader who "demonstrated the ability to change his way of thinking and seeking out new paths."
"He was a brave and fearless soldier, a wise and brilliant leader, who left a lasting impact on Israel."
American Jewish Committee head David Harris said his death ended "a defining chapter in Israel's history..."
Union of Reform Judaism president Rabbi Rick Jacobs called him "an iconic leader whose love for Israel and the Jewish people infused his entire illustrious career."
Rabbinical Assembly of Conservative Rabbis said:
"There was no single Israeli general who inspired his troops and led them as effectively as he did, and he was a towering figure of Israel’s political scene for many years."
New York Times correspondent Ethan Bronner is a longtime Israeli apologist. He's deputy Times national editor. Earlier he was Jerusalem bureau chief.
He's ethically challenged and then some. He blames Palestinians for Israeli crimes. He largely ignores settler violence.
On January 11, he headlined "Ariel Sharon, Israeli Hawk Who Sought Peace on His Terms, Dies at 85."
He quoted Netanyahu calling Sharon "first and foremost a brave soldier and an outstanding military commander...(He) had a central role in the battle for Israel's security from the very beginning."
According to Bronner, he "hope(d) (to) fulfill the central goal of his life: ensuring a viable and strong state for the Jewish people in their historic homeland."
Palestine belongs to Palestinians. Long before Jews existed, nomadic indigenous peoples inhabited today's Israel.
Sharon wanted it for Jews alone. He mass murdered Arabs to achieve it. He thrived on war. He deplored peace. He shunned diplomacy. Don't expect Bronner to explain.
He lied saying Sharon led Israel's 1982 Lebanon invasion after "Palestinian guerrillas tried to assassinate the Israeli ambassador in London."
They had nothing to with it. Arafat was wrongfully blamed. Abu Nidal militants bore full responsibility.
Then Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir later explained why Israel invaded Lebanon. A "terrible danger" existed, he said. It was "not so much a military one as a political one."
Israel got the pretext it wanted. No threat whatever existed. Mass slaughter and destruction followed. Sharon bore full responsibility.
South Lebanon remained occupied until May 2000. Israel still holds Shebba Farms illegally. It's a 25 square km territory on the Syrian/Lebanese border.
Air-brushing inconvenient facts from history is longstanding Times policy. Bronner does so like other Times correspondents, contributors and editors. Failing to detail Sharon's high crimes against peace is one of many examples.
The Washington Post headlined "Israelis, world leaders mourn Sharon." A retired Israeli municipal workers was quoted calling him "bigger than life."
WaPo noted his "forceful will. (He's) celebrated in death by his country and world leaders." John Kerry was quoted saying:
"I will never forget meeting with this big bear of a man when he became prime minister as he sought to bend the course of history toward peace, even as it meant testing the patience of his own longtime supporters and the limits of his own lifelong convictions."
The last thing Sharon wanted was peace. He opposed it throughout his entire military and political career. He rejected it. He deplored it. He went to his grave an unrepentant warrior.
Human Right Watch Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson called his passing "another grim reminder that years of virtual impunity for rights abuses have done nothing to bring Israeli-Palestinian peace any closer."
Francis Boyle said:
"The United Nations General Assembly condemned the 1982 Massacre at Sabra and Shatilla as 'genocide.' "
"So what the world is witnessing now are innumerable government leaders, politicians, pundits, professors, intellectuals, media figures and the State of Israel paying formal tribute to a genocidaire - one who has committed genocide."
"Obviously, in their opinion, the slogan 'Never again!' does not apply to protect the Palestinians."
They're fair game for continued mass slaughter and destruction. Israel's killing machine assures it. So does US complicity. World leaders turn a blind eye.
Edward Said called Sharon a "homicidal prime minister." His entire military and political career reflected "systematic barbarity," he said.
"Isn't is clear that (he was) bent not only on breaking the Palestinians but on trying to eliminate them as a people" altogether, he stressed.
Sharonian evil best describes him. His entire career reflected racist hate and lawlessness. It demands condemnation, not praise.
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Ariel Sharon's Criminal Legacy
by Stephen Lendman, 12 January 2014
Gilad Sharon chronicled his father's life. He wrote his biography. It's titled "Sharon: The Life of a Leader." It discusses his history from soldier to general to political leader.
According to Gilad, his father "was a much better prime minister" than Netanyahu. He was Sharon's finance minister. He claimed he "gave and gave and gave."
"Palestinians got and got and got, and my question is, what did we get? Nothing and nothing and nothing."
"What the public wants to know is when will it get a prime minister who stops putting wind in the sails of terrorists and begins to demand things in return for concessions."
Gilad calls Netanyahu "subversive." He's "coward(ly)," he added. He left unexplained his father's blood-drenched career. Evil best describes it.
He committed multiple high crimes against peace. A special place in hell awaits him.
Some call him Israel's most Nietzschean leader. Others consider him the devil incarnate.
He was 85 years old. He was in stroke-induced coma. He clung to vegetative life for eight years. He faded. He's gone.
Eulogies were ready to be published. Israel calls them havatzelets. They're prepared in advance obits.
They're written ahead of notable figures' deaths. Sharon's are now being published.
His vital signs were weak. His kidneys failed. He clung to life for eight years. He's gone.
He was a rogue figure writ large for decades. He's responsible for numerous crimes of war and against humanity. He was Machievellian. He was a terrorist turned statesman.
He never changed his ways. He was responsible for regional violence and instability for decades. More on this below.
Why Israelis admire him they'll have to explain. Haaretz contributor Rogel Alpher said they don't "judge him like other prime ministers..."
"(H)e made them feel good about themselves." His status "was reserved for him alone." He was considered "beyond good and evil."
He was "outside the realm of moral judgment." Criminality and corruption accusations didn't stick. They "enhanced his popularity." He was "above criticism."
Reagan was called America's teflon president. Sharon was above reproach. He belongs in prison, not high office. He got carte blanche to do what he wanted.
His highest of high crimes went unpunished. His rap sheet is one of the region's worst. According to Alpher, he had no concept of justice. He did what he wanted with impunity.
He was cold-blooded. He was ruthless. He deplored peace. Accolades he got were undeserving. His military and political agenda reflects mass slaughter and destruction.
He committed high crimes too grave to ignore. He waged war on Islam. He terrorized Palestinians and neighboring countries.
He represents the worst of Zionist extremism. He devoted his military and political career to working for a Greater Israel. He believed mass slaughter and destruction further it.
His family members were Jewish nationalists. His autobiography "Warrior" said so. His father Samuil and grandfather were "Jewish nationalist(s), pure and simple," he said.
They had "no political allegiances whatsoever, not to socialism or communism or anything else."
Samuil always wanted to emigrate to Palestine. In 1921, he did so. In 1928, Ariel was born.
When he was 13, his father gave him a dagger. It "was symbolic, to protect ourselves from our enemies," he said. It was a "lesson" he "never" forgot.
Prior to joining the Haganah (the IDF's forerunner), he became a Jewish Settlement Police member. He fought in Israel's so-called War of Independence.
He got firsthand combat experience. He later used it in other campaigns. He prioritized "strik(ing) first and hardest."
"(A)lways escalate," he said. He remained a soldier. He rose to the rank of general. He never became IDF chief of staff.
Arrogance, insubordination, recklessness, and going his own way denied him. His military and political superiors deplored his attitude.
He lied for self-serving reasons. He disobeyed orders freely. He did often. Israel's Golani Brigade is one of its most ruthless.
In February 1948, David Ben-Gurion established it. He did so to ethnically cleanse Palestinians. Sharon was one of its first commanders.
Earlier he headed the notorious Alexandroni Brigade. Death squad killers filled its ranks.
Golanis operate the same way. They're responsible for numerous massacres. They committed them from inception to today.
In 1953, Sharon established Unit 101. It reigned terror on defenseless Palestinian civilians. It did so indiscriminately. It targeted young, old and helpless victims.
In August 1953, it attacked El-Bureig refugee camp in southern Gaza. Dozens of Palestinians were slaughtered.
In October 1953, Jordan's Qibya village was attacked. Then Israeli Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett said the "stain would stick to us and not be washed away for many years."
Israeli historian Avi Shlaim described what happened as follows:
"Sharon’s order was to penetrate Qibya, blow up houses and inflict heavy casualties on its inhabitants."
"His success in carrying out the order surpassed all expectations. The full and macabre story of what happened at Qibya was revealed only during the morning after the attack."
"The village had been reduced to rubble: forty-five houses had been blown up, and sixty-nine civilians, two thirds of them women and children, had been killed."
"Sharon and his men claimed that they believed that all the inhabitants had run away and that they had no idea that anyone was hiding inside the houses."
A UN observer at the time explained otherwise, saying:
"One story was repeated time after time: the bullet splintered door, the body sprawled across the threshhold, indicating that the inhabitants had been forced by heavy fire to stay inside until their homes were blown up over them."
Sharon's forces went house to house. They systematically murdered their occupants. They did so in cold blood.
Sharon atrocities repeated for decades. In August 1971, his forces destroyed 2,000 Gaza homes. Doing so displaced 16,000 Palestinians.
Hundreds of Palestinian men were arrested. They were brutally treated. They were deported to Jordan and Lebanon.
Hundreds of relatives of suspected Palestinian freedom fighters were exiled to Sinai. Dozens of militants were murdered in cold blood.
In 1982, Sharon was Menachem Begin's defense minister. On June 6, Israel invaded Lebanon. Fighting lasted nearly a year.
An Israeli false flag was pretext. Arafat was falsely blamed for Abu Nidal militants' attempted assassination of Israeli UK ambassador Shlomo Argov.
Israel got the war it wanted. Sharon was called the "Butcher of Beirut." Up to 20,000 Palestinians were massacred. Southern Lebanon remained occupied until May 2000. Israel still illegally holds Sheba Farms.
It's a 14-square mile water-rich area. It's near Syria's Golan. It's been lawlessly occupied since 1967.
Sabra and Shatila remain symbols of Sharonian ruthlessness. Around 18,000 Palestinians were slaughtered.
It turned out the way he planned. He let Phalangist fascists do his dirty work. Palestinian civilians were massacred in cold blood. Women were raped multiple times before being killed. Children were murdered like adults.
Whole families were shot, stabbed, bludgeoned to death, or buried dead or alive under homes. Some were tortured before dying. Bodies were decapitated.
Corpses were charred and violated. Eyes were gouged out. Faces were unrecognizable.
Sharon maliciously planned it. He led it. He called it "ridding the world of the center of international terrorism." No one to this day was punished.
Yitzhak Kahan headed an Israeli commission of inquiry. Its findings damaged Sharon. It didn't go far enough. On September 16, 1982, Sharon-directed Philangist death squads entered the camps.
Killings began "almost immediately." Militiamen entered homes. They began "slitting throats, axing, shooting, and raping, often taking groups outside and lining them up for execution."
"There was virtually no resistance. Only a very few camp residents" had small arms for protection. Slaughter continued until around sunset September 18.
Kahan Commission findings fell short of damning. Sharon's reputation was damaged. He wasn't held accountable. His actions were called "blunders."
He "failed to take appropriate measures" to prevent what happened, commission members said.
Sharon ordered mass murder. He directed it. He led it. He unleashed its full ferocity. He's fully responsible. Accountability didn't follow.
He refused to resign. On February 14, 1983, he lost his defense minister portfolio. He remained an unpunished cabinet minister without one.
He was fanatically anti-peace. He opposed 1991 Madrid conference talks. He was against the 1993 Oslo Accords.
He abstained on peace with Jordan. He opposed other peace initiatives. He rejected the so-called Quartet's road map.
It was doomed straightaway. Israeli violence, land theft, and targeted assassinations accompanied it. Sharon had no intention to seek peace.
He deplored it from soldier to general to defense minister to prime minister to his grave. "There cannot be a situation where there are two states for one people," he said. Let's make the issue clear."
He repeatedly blamed Palestinians for Israeli crimes. "My paramount responsibility is the security of the people of Israel and the state of Israel," he stressed.
Peace won't happen "without the abandonment and elimination of terrorism, violence and incitement." Israel alone commits it. Palestinians are repeatedly victimized.
Sharon's autobiography explained, saying:
Attacking Arabs aims "to create (in their minds) a psychology of defeat, to beat them every time, and to beat them so decisively that they would develop the conviction that they could never win."
Sharon deplored surgical strikes. He "believe(d) that whenever we were forced to strike, we should do so with the aim of inflicting heavy losses on the enemy troops."
He urged Israeli's premeditated/preemptive 1967 Six Day War. It was planned long in advance.
In 1948, Israel stole 78% of historic Palestine. In June 1967, it got what remained.
Settlement construction began straightaway. From 1967 - 1977, around 30 were established.
They were mainly in Jordan Valley locations. Settlers numbered about 5,000.
Under Prime Minister Menachem Begin (1977 - 1983), things changed dramatically. A new pattern emerged.
Heartland/central ridge West Bank settlements were established. Construction tempo increased.
Dozens of new settlements were added. Increasing amounts of Palestinian land were stolen. Construction continues unabated.
Israel controls over 60% of West Bank land. It claims Jerusalem as its exclusive capital. It's settler population exceeds 600,000. Numbers increase daily. Sharon endorsed unlimited expansion.
In 1969, he learned his military contract wouldn't be renewed. He fell out of favor with then IDF chief Bar Lev. It was over defending Sinai.
He turned to politics instead. He allied with Menachem Begin's Herut party. It was militantly hardline. It was ideologically Revisionist. It was hardcore Zionist. In 1988, it merged into Likud.
During the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Sharon was called back to reserve duty. In elections that followed, he won a Knesset seat.
A year later he resigned. From June 1975 to March 1976, he was Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's aide.
In 1977, he founded the Shlomtzion party. Months later, it merged into Likud. Sharon became Begin's agriculture minister.
He supported Gush Emunim (Block of the Faithful) extremists. It was militantly hardline. It was committed to unlimited settlement expansions. Israel's Yesha Council replaced it.
It's ideologically over-the-top. It's like Sharon. It wants Greater Israel exclusively Jewish. It wants Arabs ethnically cleansed.
Sharon expressed his settlement policy as follows:
"Everybody has to move, run and grab as many (Judean) hilltops as they can to enlarge the (Jewish) settlements because everything we take now will stay ours."
"Everything we don't grab will go to them." In 1981, Begin appointed Sharon defense minister. He took full advantage.
He held other ministerial portfolios. As Construction and Housing Minister, he was called "the Bulldozer."
It was for good reason. He ruthlessly destroyed Palestinian homes. Throughout his military and political career, Sharon's message was submit.
Abandon independence notions. Accept Palestine as Israel. You don't belong here. Leave or we'll uproot you.
Sharon's way was no-holds-barred ruthlessness. On September 28, 2000, he initiated Second Intifada violence.
He did so by provocatively visiting the Haram al-Sharif (the Nobel Sanctuary). Around 1,000 security forces accompanied him.
Resistance followed. He responded violently. He did so until February 2005. Nearly 4,200 Palestinians died. Included were 866 children and 271 women.
Many more were wounded. Over 3,500 were permanently disabled. Over 550 assassinations were committed. Around 8,600 Palestinians were imprisoned.
Over 2.3 million dunums of land were stolen. Another 73,600 were razed. Hundreds of thousands of trees were uprooted.
Over 7,700 homes were demolished. Another 94,000 were damaged. Sabra and Shatila slaughter reflected the worst of Sharonian evil.
So did Second Intifada viciousness. His Gaza disengagement plan had nothing to do with peace.
It was getting Israeli settlers out of harm's way. It was relocating them to stolen West Bank/East Jerusalem land. It was gaining US support for doing so.
He was prime minister from March 7, 2001 to April 14, 2006. He murdered Yasser Arafat. He poisoned him to death. Stroke-induced incapacitation ended his political career.
On December 18, 2005, minor ischemic stroke symptoms appeared. Doctors discovered heart trouble. It required surgery, they said.
Bed rest ahead of cardiac catheterization was prescribed. Sharon ignored medical advice. He returned to work immediately.
On January 4, 2006, hemorrhagic stroke followed. Two surgeries stopped bleeding in his brain. They didn't prevent stroke-induced coma.
Since November 6, 2006, he's been in longterm care. His cognitive abilities were destroyed.
In late 2013, his condition deteriorated. On January 1, he suffered renal failure. He's fading. He could anytime.
His legacy reflects horrendous high crimes. It bears repeating. A special place in hell awaits him. Perhaps he already arrived.
A Final Comment
Sharon believed the only good Arabs were dead ones. He spent his entire military and political career slaughtering them. State terror was official policy on his watch.
World leaders paid him tribute on his death. They did so disgracefully. One war criminal remembered another. Obama issued a statement, saying:
"On behalf of the American people, Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to the family of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and to the people of Israel on the loss of a leader who dedicated his life to the State of Israel."
"We reaffirm our unshakable commitment to Israel's security and our appreciation for the enduring friendship between our two countries and our two peoples."
"We continue to strive for lasting peace and security for the people of Israel, including through our commitment to the goal of two states living side-by-side in peace and security."
"As Israel says goodbye to Prime Minister Sharon, we join with the Israeli people in honoring his commitment to his country."
Sharon was an unapologetic war criminal. His legacy reflects
decades of mass slaughter, destruction and human misery.
Britain's David Cameron disgracefully said he made "brave and controversial decisions in pursuit of peace. Israel has today lost an important leader."
France's Francois Hollande called him "a major player in the history of his country. After a long military and political career, he choose to move toward dialogue with Palestine."
He did no such thing. He murdered Yasser Arafat. He deplored peace and reconciliation. He hated Arabs. His policies proved it.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reacted as expected. He's a reliable imperial tool. He's complicit in Western war crimes. He said:
Sharon "will be remembered for his political courage and determination to carry through with the painful and historic decision to withdraw Israeli settlers and troops from the Gaza Strip."
He got them out of harm's way. Future aggression was planned. He relocated them on stolen West Bank Palestinian land.
Gaza remains occupied. Suffocating siege continues. Ban ignores Palestinian suffering. He supports Israel's worst crimes.
Fatah official Jubril Rajoub said:
"Sharon was a criminal, responsible for the assassination of (Yasser) Arafat, and we would have hoped to see him appear before the International Criminal Court as a war criminal."
Hamas spokesman Salah el-Bardaweel added:
"We pray to Allah that Sharon and all the Zionist leaders who committed massacres against our people go to hell."
"When the Palestinian people remember Sharon, they only remember pain, blood, torture, displacement and crimes. We will never feel sorry for his death."
Nor should anyone!
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http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2014/01/sharonian-evil-lives.html Sharonian Evil Lives
by Stephen Lendman, 14 January 2014
It rages in Israel. It's worse in Washington. It infests most other Western states. Despots rule most regional ones. They dominate other parts of the world.
State terror harms global billions. Human torment is extreme. Sharonian evil reflects what's ongoing. More on Palestinian suffering below.
On January 13, Haaretz headlined "Former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon laid to rest in state funeral."
World dignitaries were there. Showing up honored a mass murderer. Attendees did it disgracefully. They have their own dark crosses to bear.
Nations represented partnered with Sharon's crimes. They support Israel's worst ones. They commit their own.
On Sunday, Sharon's body lay in state. Netanyahu, Shimon Peres and Joe Biden delivered keynote addresses.
Other foreign dignitaries arrived. Countries represented included America, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Australia, Russia, the Philippines and Singapore.
No Arab states were represented. Nor China, Japan, India or Turkey. None from South or Central America. Egypt was the only African one. South Africa sent no one.
No foreign dignitaries attended Yitzhak Shamir's 2012 funeral. He lay in state like Sharon. He did so in Israel's Knesset.
When Menachem Begin died in 1992, tens of thousands marched to Jerusalem's Mount of Olives. No foreign dignitaries joined them. Honoring Sharon shows how low they've sunk.
Some Israeli officials bristled because of too few foreign countries represented. Those coming shamed themselves.
Former Swedish Prime Minister/current Foreign Minister Carl Bildt didn't attend. He's an Israeli critic. It didn't matter.
He tweeted a message of praise. He said Sharon "was a great leader of Israel. A brilliant military commander, but also a wise statesman seeing the necessity of peace."
Opposition Swedish MPs were furious. Green Party MP Mehmet Kaplan is a former Muslim Council of Sweden spokesman.
He called Bildt's comment "very, very tragic. This is very, very strange," he said. "Simply woeful that he is acting this way."
Left Party spokesman Hans Linde supports boycotting Israeli products. He called Bildt's comments "deeply provocative."
"He pays tribute to a person who is responsible for widespread massacres of Palestinians. A person who openly advocated the expulsion of the entire Palestinian people."
No heads of state attended Sharon's funeral. Obama didn't come. George Bush and Bill Clinton stayed home. So did David Cameron, Francois Hollande and Angela Merkel.
Sergei Lavrov represented Russia. Tony Blair was there for Britain. Vice President Joe Biden led Washington's delegation.
Others with him included US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro, Rep. Eliot Engel (D. NY), Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D. FL), and former US Israeli ambassador Daniel Kurtzer.
Foreign war criminals honored Sharonian evil. They commit plenty of their own. Biden laid a wreath on Sharon's grave. So did Netanyahu and Peres.
Biden called Sharon "a complex man who lived in complex times in a complex neighborhood." Bidenisms are notorious.
They feature mumbo jumbo rubbish. They're embarrassing. In August 2012, he said: "Folks, I can tell you I've known eight presidents, three of them intimately."
Months earlier he said: "My mother and father believed if I wanted to be president...I could be vice president."
In February 2009, he said: "If we do everything right...with absolute certainty, there's a 30% chance we're going to get it wrong."
He said a "north star" guided Sharon. Deep-seated evil did. He was the butcher of Palestine. He hated Arabs. He deplored peace. He went to his grave an unrepentant mass murderer.
Imagine honoring what demands no-holds-barred condemnation. Imagine ignoring the worst of high crimes.
Imagine Israeli forces attacking Palestinians the day Sharon was buried. What better tribute to raw evil. What better way to express it.
Israeli warplanes bombed Gaza's al-Bureij refugee camp. Civilian areas were called "terror sites."
IDF soldiers terrorized Palestinian civilians. They conducted multiple pre-dawn neighborhood incursions.
Innocent victims were arrested. Children were traumatized. Peace is a four-letter word. So is nonviolence.
Extremist settlers reacted the same way. They destroyed dozens of Hebron area olive trees. They escalated other attacks. One settler child sprayed a Palestinian girl with chlorine.
Settlers terrorize Palestinians with impunity. They attack homes, vehicles, crops, mosques, holy sites, cemeteries, and schools. They commit violence. Once in a while they kill.
Palestinians are fair game any time. Even Sharon's funeral day wasn't off-limits.
They're prisoners on their own land. They're brutalized for not being Jews. They're persecuted, beaten, arrested, imprisoned, tortured or murdered.
Israeli policy reflects Sharonian evil. Before his tragic September 2003 death, Edward Said reflected about news from Palestine. He commented about "frightful images of death and destruction."
"It has been my experience," he said, "to be utterly amazed and aghast at what I have deduced from those details about Israeli government policy, more particularly about what has been going on in the mind of Ariel Sharon."
After an Israeli warplane murdered nine children, he congratulat(ed) the pilot and boast(ed) of a great Israeli success."
"I was able to form a much clearer idea than before of what a pathologically deranged mind is capable of, not only in terms of what it plans and orders but, worse, how it manages to persuade other minds to think in the same delusional and criminal way," Said explained.
"Getting inside the official Israeli mind is a worthwhile, if lurid, experience."
He said Sharon reigned terror on Palestinians "deliberately" and "methodically."
"It has as little to do with the Arab or Muslim supposed propensity for violence as the man in the moon," he stressed.
"Sharon want(ed) terrorism, not peace, and he (did) everything in his power to create the conditions for it."
He represented the worst of pure evil. His policies were blindly destructive.
Palestinians endured his twisted logic. They did it for decades. He attacked what he called "terrorist infrastructure, terrorist nests, terrorist bomb factories, terrorist suspects - the list is infinite," said Said.
Notions of terrorism took on a life of their own. He "legitimized and relegitimized them." He did so "without proof, logic, or rational argument."
Israeli patriotism and "blind support...replaced skeptical reflection and moral seriousness."
Sharonianism reflected "nothing less than the obliteration of an entire people by slow, systematic methods of suffocation, outright murder, and the stifling of everyday life."
Palestine resembles a penal colony. Gazans are "surrounded by an electrified wire fence on three sides. They're imprisoned like animals."
They're worse off under siege. They can't work, move, attend school or do much else normally. They were targets for Sharon's warplanes. Tanks, artillery and ground forces "gunned them down like turkeys."
Gaza is a human nightmare. "Sharon and his sadistic minions prattle(d) on about eliminating terrorism." Human suffering never "enter(ed) (his) closed mind."
West Bank towns are "wasteland(s) of destroyed buildings, looted offices, purposely ruined water and electrical systems."
"Commerce is finished." Children suffer malnutrition. Most Palestinians are impoverished.
Occupation before, during and after Sharon reflects security force terror, "torture and abjection."
Israel is a nation without conscience. Its "soul (was) captured by a mania for punishing the weak. (It) mirrors the psychopathic mentality of...Sharon."
His sole agenda was "kill, reduce, maim, drive away Palestinians until 'they break.' " He took pride in his monstrous abuse. He enjoyed a chorus of US supporters. They partnered in crime.
They targeted Palestinian civilians. They do it today and then some. Defenseless people have no warplanes, tanks, artillery, or other sophisticated weapons.
They have no nuclear, biological or chemical ones. They have nothing but a profound will to survive. They're up against one of the world's most malevolent forces.
They endure deplorable indignities. Most people can't imagine their suffering. Brutality defines Israeli policy. It's always been this way.
It was ruthless under Sharon. Netanyahu mirrors him. In many ways, he exceeds his worst policies. Knesset members are the most extremist in Israeli history.
Occupied Palestine resembles Arundahadi Roy's description of India. It's a "limbless, headless, soulless torso left bleeding under the butcher's clever with a flag driven deep into her mutilated heart."
Muslims are persecuted like Hitler treated Jews. Every day is Kristallnacht. Institutionalized terror haunts Palestinians. Collective punishment is policy.
Normal daily life is denied. Population centers are isolated. Borders are closed. Peaceful public demonstrations are assaulted. Free expression and movement are prohibited.
Institutionalized racism matches the worst of Nazi Germany. Palestinians suffocate in isolated ghettos. Economic strangulation is imposed.
Curfews, roadblocks, checkpoints, separation walls, electric fences, and other barriers obstruct daily life. State terror is official policy.
Multiple neighborhood incursions, land, sea and air attacks, bulldozed homes, land theft, ethnic cleansing, slow-motion genocide, targeted killings, mass arrests, torture, and gulag imprisonment ravage Muslims.
They're targeted for not being Jews. Children are used for target practice. Famers are attacked in their fields. Fundamental civil and human rights don't matter. International law is a figure of speech. It's systematically ignored.
Crimes of war and against humanity repeat without redress. Wanting to live free in sovereign Palestine is called terrorism.
Punitive taxes are imposed. Few services are provided. Vital ones are lacking or inadequate. Palestinian lawmakers are imprisoned for belonging to the wrong party.
Israeli security forces operate with impunity. They maraud, rampage, pillage, vandalize, destroy, commit violence, and murder in cold blood.
They do whatever they want. They do it unaccountably. Israel's fascist government gives chutzpah new meaning. Triumphant wrong over right defines it. So does brute force against defenseless people.
Netanyahu is Israel's most polarizing leader. He achieved the impossible. He exceeds the worst of his predecessors. Israel's far right adores him.
Imagine transcending Sharonian evil. Imagine doing it daily. Imagine making democracy a dirty word. Imagine hollowing it out entirely.
Imagine waging war to prevent it. Imagine lawlessness writ large. Imagine targeting challengers for change. Imagine Judaizing Palestine one stolen dunum at a time.
Imagine driving a spike into the corpse of freedom. It's Israel's version of democracy. It's none whatsoever. It's pure illusion. It doesn't exist.
Maybe one day Netanyahu will be eulogized like Sharon. Maybe he'll be called a great leader. Maybe his "greater Israel" agenda will be remembered. It replicates Sharon's and then some.
Maybe Gaza's siege will define him. Maybe slow-motion genocide his way. Maybe surrounding Israel with walls. Maybe stealing Palestinian land to build them.
Maybe building more settlements than any of his predecessors. Maybe occupation harshness to a greater than ever level. Maybe talking peace while waging war.
Maybe ridiculing peace in our time. Maybe advancing his campaign to prevent it. Imagine all take and no give. Maybe calling himself an indomitable Israeli protector.
Imagine treating peaceful Palestinians like existential threats. Imagine terrorizing them daily. Imagine mass arresting them.
Imagining barbaric Israeli gulag conditions. Imagine torturing Palestinian prisoners brutally.
Imagine murdering defense civilians in cold blood. Imagine blaming them for his crimes. Imagine ruthlessness writ large. Imagine world leaders turning a blind eye.
Sharonian evil defined his military and political career. It applies to Netanyahu and then some. It applies to Israel's far right.
It gives pause to whether Palestinian liberation is more illusion than reality. It bears witness to their longstanding suffering. No end in sight looms.
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http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2014/01/eulogizing-mass-murderer_13.html Eulogizing a Mass Murderer
by Stephen Lendman, 13 January 2014
On January 11, Ariel Sharon died. He's not missed. A previous article discussed his blood-drenched military and political career.
It did so in depth. It explained his decades of high crimes against peace. They began before Israel's creation. They continued until his debilitating stroke induced coma. It occurred in January 2006.
Sharon was pure evil. He was satanic. He was no saint. A special place in hell awaited him. It now claims him.
His criminal legacy remains. It's indisputable. It's well documented. Eulogizers largely ignored it. They did so shamelessly.
Obama and other world leaders praised him. A previous article quoted them. They ignored his high crimes. They have plenty of their own to answer for. The same place in hell awaits them.
Bill Clinton is one of many US unindicted war criminals. He was complicit in Sharon's crimes. One war criminal honored another. He issued a statement saying:
"Ariel Sharon gave his life to Israel to bring it into being, to sustain and preserve it, and at the end of his long service, to create a new political party committed to both a just peace and lasting security."
"It was an honor to work with him, argue with him and watch him always trying to find the right path for his beloved country.''
Congressional members mourned Sharon. House Speaker John Boehner (R. OH) called him "one of the greatest warrior-statesmen in modern history."
His "contribution to establishing and defending Israel's independence is incalculable, and his devotion to peace undisputed."
George W. Bush called him a "man of peace." Vice President Joe Biden said he'll lead a US delegation to his memorial service.
He'll do so "to pay tribute to the unshakeable partnership between the United States and Israel."
John Kerry said his "journey was Israel's journey. The dream of Israel was the cause of his life, and he risked it all to live that dream."
He did so over the corpses of many thousands of Palestinian civilians he slaughtered in cold blood.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R. KY) said "Israel lost one of its greatest sons and America a friend."
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D. CA) called him "a powerful voice for his beliefs and values." He "always maintained the courage of his convictions."
Other congressional members offered praise. They did so when condemnation is demanded. Sharon's criminality went unpunished.
His high crimes were legendary. Racist hate, mass murder, destruction, and the worst of occupation harshness best describe them.
He avoided accountability. He never paid for his high crimes. Eulogizers have much to answer for. More on this below.
Tanya Reinhart (July 1943 - March 17, 2007) was a highly respected Israeli academic, linguist, author and political activist.
"How did it happen that Sharon, the most brutal, cynical, racist and manipulative leader Israel has ever had, ended his political career as a legendary peace hero," she asked?
He never changed, she said. "(T)he myth built around him reflects the present omnipotence of the propaganda system."
It makes saints out of sinners. It turns truth on its head. Sharon waged war on peace. He deplored it. He hated Arabs. He savaged them viciously.
"He proved that Israel can imprison (them), bombard them from the air, steal their land, stall any chance for peace, and still be hailed by the Western world as" a man of peace, said Reinhart.
UN Special Rapporteur on Palestinian human rights Richard Falk said earlier:
"Nothing has illustrated the pro-Israeli spin in the United States more clearly than the ability of Sharon while holding high office to avoid being tarnished as a civilian leader by his extensive military record of brutality and abuse, which includes well-documented terrorist attacks against Palestinian civilians."
His high crimes were legendary. He remained unaccountable to his death. Falk said Washington forged his international legitimization. So did "deferential media." They're on the wrong side of history. They ignore its dark side.
Haaretz editors shamelessly headlined "For all his flaws, Israel is poorer without leaders like Ariel Sharon."
On the one hand, Haaretz editors discussed his "aggressiveness and bullying." He "repeatedly led his troops into controversial and blood-soaked operations."
"Aggressiveness, hatred of Arabs and contempt for politicians also characterized" his political career. "He was the patron (saint) of settlers...He opposed all the peace accords signed by Israel with its neighbors."
"But the moment he fulfilled his dream and was elected prime minister, his approach changed. With supreme responsibility thrust on his shoulders, he remained within the bounds of power."
False! He was ruthless to the end. He committed the worst of high crimes. He bore full responsibility for Second Intifada mass murder. Sharonian evil bests describes it. A previous article said:
Nearly 4,200 Palestinians died. Included were 866 children and 271 women.
Many more were wounded. Over 3,500 were permanently disabled. Over 550 assassinations were committed. Around 8,600 Palestinians were imprisoned.
Over 2.3 million dunums of land were stolen. Another 73,600 were razed. Hundreds of thousands of trees were uprooted.
Over 7,700 homes were demolished. Another 94,000 were damaged.
His Gaza disengagement had nothing to do with peace. He deplored it throughout his life. He waged war to avoid it.
He murdered Yasser Arafat. He poisoned him to death. Haaretz editors didn't explain.
Since his departure, they said, "Israel has lacked leadership that acknowledges the limits of power, maintains its alliance with the United States, displays political courage in the territories and won't be deterred by the settlers."
Nothing in Sharon's criminal career warrants praise. Haaretz editors reinvented history trying. They failed.
Jerusalem Post editors headlined "Salute to Sharon," saying:
Israel "lost one of the most charismatic, colorful and influential figures in its annals." He was a "pugnacious in (military and) political life."
"(O)ne way or another (he) elicited a curious indulgence of the sort that was eventually denied other (Israeli) mythic heroes..."
"No matter how wayward his conduct, and no matter how much he may have willfully broken the rules, he retained the allure of the nation's favorite firebrand."
JP editors ignored his high crimes. They called him "an authentic native son, a generic Sabra and a popular hero."
American Jewish groups and leaders praised him. AIPAC called him "a legendary statesman and solider, who embodied the indomitable spirit and passion of the Jewish state."
"Because he knew the price of war, (he) was willing to courageously take risks for peace."
"He was a heroic warrior and leader whose life was dedicated to the peace and security of America's democratic ally."
Anti-Defamation League national chair Barry Curtiss-Lusher and national director Abe Foxman said:
His "legacy is a more secure State of Israel, safe on its borders and resolved to put an end to the campaign of Palestinian terrorism once and for all."
"We are deeply saddened at the loss of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. While he has just passed away, it has truly been eight years since we lost this great statesman and friend."
Jewish Federation of North America chairman Michael Siegal and president Jerry Silverman said:
He "was a highly regarded military leader, but he was also a peacemaker. One of the country's most daring and celebrated generals, he was also a man who was able to take bold steps in the hopes of achieving peace."
He "was not just the prime minister of the Jewish state, but a determined and inspirational leader of the entire Jewish world."
"Our heartfelt condolences go out to his sons Omri and Gilad, to the entire Sharon family, and to all the people of Israel."
The Israeli Policy Forum praised his lifetime commitment and "many sacrifices...to ensure the survival and success of the State of Israel."
Robert Sugarman chairs the Conference of Presidents of (52) Major American Jewish Organizations. Malcolm Hoenlein is executive vice president.
The issued a joint statement mourning Sharon's passing. The Conference maintained a decades-long relationship with him, they said.
"(I)n all his positions, (he) never missed an opportunity to meet with the Conference and address us, and often took us on tours to understand better the defense and security needs and the strategic issues confronting Israel."
"There were few in Israel's history who contributed so much to the State, who demonstrated courage and bravery as well as keen insight and incisive thinking."
B'nai B'rith International president Allan Jacobs said Israel lost a leader who "demonstrated the ability to change his way of thinking and seeking out new paths."
"He was a brave and fearless soldier, a wise and brilliant leader, who left a lasting impact on Israel."
American Jewish Committee head David Harris said his death ended "a defining chapter in Israel's history..."
Union of Reform Judaism president Rabbi Rick Jacobs called him "an iconic leader whose love for Israel and the Jewish people infused his entire illustrious career."
Rabbinical Assembly of Conservative Rabbis said:
"There was no single Israeli general who inspired his troops and led them as effectively as he did, and he was a towering figure of Israel’s political scene for many years."
New York Times correspondent Ethan Bronner is a longtime Israeli apologist. He's deputy Times national editor. Earlier he was Jerusalem bureau chief.
He's ethically challenged and then some. He blames Palestinians for Israeli crimes. He largely ignores settler violence.
On January 11, he headlined "Ariel Sharon, Israeli Hawk Who Sought Peace on His Terms, Dies at 85."
He quoted Netanyahu calling Sharon "first and foremost a brave soldier and an outstanding military commander...(He) had a central role in the battle for Israel's security from the very beginning."
According to Bronner, he "hope(d) (to) fulfill the central goal of his life: ensuring a viable and strong state for the Jewish people in their historic homeland."
Palestine belongs to Palestinians. Long before Jews existed, nomadic indigenous peoples inhabited today's Israel.
Sharon wanted it for Jews alone. He mass murdered Arabs to achieve it. He thrived on war. He deplored peace. He shunned diplomacy. Don't expect Bronner to explain.
He lied saying Sharon led Israel's 1982 Lebanon invasion after "Palestinian guerrillas tried to assassinate the Israeli ambassador in London."
They had nothing to with it. Arafat was wrongfully blamed. Abu Nidal militants bore full responsibility.
Then Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir later explained why Israel invaded Lebanon. A "terrible danger" existed, he said. It was "not so much a military one as a political one."
Israel got the pretext it wanted. No threat whatever existed. Mass slaughter and destruction followed. Sharon bore full responsibility.
South Lebanon remained occupied until May 2000. Israel still holds Shebba Farms illegally. It's a 25 square km territory on the Syrian/Lebanese border.
Air-brushing inconvenient facts from history is longstanding Times policy. Bronner does so like other Times correspondents, contributors and editors. Failing to detail Sharon's high crimes against peace is one of many examples.
The Washington Post headlined "Israelis, world leaders mourn Sharon." A retired Israeli municipal workers was quoted calling him "bigger than life."
WaPo noted his "forceful will. (He's) celebrated in death by his country and world leaders." John Kerry was quoted saying:
"I will never forget meeting with this big bear of a man when he became prime minister as he sought to bend the course of history toward peace, even as it meant testing the patience of his own longtime supporters and the limits of his own lifelong convictions."
The last thing Sharon wanted was peace. He opposed it throughout his entire military and political career. He rejected it. He deplored it. He went to his grave an unrepentant warrior.
Human Right Watch Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson called his passing "another grim reminder that years of virtual impunity for rights abuses have done nothing to bring Israeli-Palestinian peace any closer."
Francis Boyle said:
"The United Nations General Assembly condemned the 1982 Massacre at Sabra and Shatilla as 'genocide.' "
"So what the world is witnessing now are innumerable government leaders, politicians, pundits, professors, intellectuals, media figures and the State of Israel paying formal tribute to a genocidaire - one who has committed genocide."
"Obviously, in their opinion, the slogan 'Never again!' does not apply to protect the Palestinians."
They're fair game for continued mass slaughter and destruction. Israel's killing machine assures it. So does US complicity. World leaders turn a blind eye.
Edward Said called Sharon a "homicidal prime minister." His entire military and political career reflected "systematic barbarity," he said.
"Isn't is clear that (he was) bent not only on breaking the Palestinians but on trying to eliminate them as a people" altogether, he stressed.
Sharonian evil best describes him. His entire career reflected racist hate and lawlessness. It demands condemnation, not praise.
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Ariel Sharon's Criminal Legacy
by Stephen Lendman, 12 January 2014
Gilad Sharon chronicled his father's life. He wrote his biography. It's titled "Sharon: The Life of a Leader." It discusses his history from soldier to general to political leader.
According to Gilad, his father "was a much better prime minister" than Netanyahu. He was Sharon's finance minister. He claimed he "gave and gave and gave."
"Palestinians got and got and got, and my question is, what did we get? Nothing and nothing and nothing."
"What the public wants to know is when will it get a prime minister who stops putting wind in the sails of terrorists and begins to demand things in return for concessions."
Gilad calls Netanyahu "subversive." He's "coward(ly)," he added. He left unexplained his father's blood-drenched career. Evil best describes it.
He committed multiple high crimes against peace. A special place in hell awaits him.
Some call him Israel's most Nietzschean leader. Others consider him the devil incarnate.
He was 85 years old. He was in stroke-induced coma. He clung to vegetative life for eight years. He faded. He's gone.
Eulogies were ready to be published. Israel calls them havatzelets. They're prepared in advance obits.
They're written ahead of notable figures' deaths. Sharon's are now being published.
His vital signs were weak. His kidneys failed. He clung to life for eight years. He's gone.
He was a rogue figure writ large for decades. He's responsible for numerous crimes of war and against humanity. He was Machievellian. He was a terrorist turned statesman.
He never changed his ways. He was responsible for regional violence and instability for decades. More on this below.
Why Israelis admire him they'll have to explain. Haaretz contributor Rogel Alpher said they don't "judge him like other prime ministers..."
"(H)e made them feel good about themselves." His status "was reserved for him alone." He was considered "beyond good and evil."
He was "outside the realm of moral judgment." Criminality and corruption accusations didn't stick. They "enhanced his popularity." He was "above criticism."
Reagan was called America's teflon president. Sharon was above reproach. He belongs in prison, not high office. He got carte blanche to do what he wanted.
His highest of high crimes went unpunished. His rap sheet is one of the region's worst. According to Alpher, he had no concept of justice. He did what he wanted with impunity.
He was cold-blooded. He was ruthless. He deplored peace. Accolades he got were undeserving. His military and political agenda reflects mass slaughter and destruction.
He committed high crimes too grave to ignore. He waged war on Islam. He terrorized Palestinians and neighboring countries.
He represents the worst of Zionist extremism. He devoted his military and political career to working for a Greater Israel. He believed mass slaughter and destruction further it.
His family members were Jewish nationalists. His autobiography "Warrior" said so. His father Samuil and grandfather were "Jewish nationalist(s), pure and simple," he said.
They had "no political allegiances whatsoever, not to socialism or communism or anything else."
Samuil always wanted to emigrate to Palestine. In 1921, he did so. In 1928, Ariel was born.
When he was 13, his father gave him a dagger. It "was symbolic, to protect ourselves from our enemies," he said. It was a "lesson" he "never" forgot.
Prior to joining the Haganah (the IDF's forerunner), he became a Jewish Settlement Police member. He fought in Israel's so-called War of Independence.
He got firsthand combat experience. He later used it in other campaigns. He prioritized "strik(ing) first and hardest."
"(A)lways escalate," he said. He remained a soldier. He rose to the rank of general. He never became IDF chief of staff.
Arrogance, insubordination, recklessness, and going his own way denied him. His military and political superiors deplored his attitude.
He lied for self-serving reasons. He disobeyed orders freely. He did often. Israel's Golani Brigade is one of its most ruthless.
In February 1948, David Ben-Gurion established it. He did so to ethnically cleanse Palestinians. Sharon was one of its first commanders.
Earlier he headed the notorious Alexandroni Brigade. Death squad killers filled its ranks.
Golanis operate the same way. They're responsible for numerous massacres. They committed them from inception to today.
In 1953, Sharon established Unit 101. It reigned terror on defenseless Palestinian civilians. It did so indiscriminately. It targeted young, old and helpless victims.
In August 1953, it attacked El-Bureig refugee camp in southern Gaza. Dozens of Palestinians were slaughtered.
In October 1953, Jordan's Qibya village was attacked. Then Israeli Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett said the "stain would stick to us and not be washed away for many years."
Israeli historian Avi Shlaim described what happened as follows:
"Sharon’s order was to penetrate Qibya, blow up houses and inflict heavy casualties on its inhabitants."
"His success in carrying out the order surpassed all expectations. The full and macabre story of what happened at Qibya was revealed only during the morning after the attack."
"The village had been reduced to rubble: forty-five houses had been blown up, and sixty-nine civilians, two thirds of them women and children, had been killed."
"Sharon and his men claimed that they believed that all the inhabitants had run away and that they had no idea that anyone was hiding inside the houses."
A UN observer at the time explained otherwise, saying:
"One story was repeated time after time: the bullet splintered door, the body sprawled across the threshhold, indicating that the inhabitants had been forced by heavy fire to stay inside until their homes were blown up over them."
Sharon's forces went house to house. They systematically murdered their occupants. They did so in cold blood.
Sharon atrocities repeated for decades. In August 1971, his forces destroyed 2,000 Gaza homes. Doing so displaced 16,000 Palestinians.
Hundreds of Palestinian men were arrested. They were brutally treated. They were deported to Jordan and Lebanon.
Hundreds of relatives of suspected Palestinian freedom fighters were exiled to Sinai. Dozens of militants were murdered in cold blood.
In 1982, Sharon was Menachem Begin's defense minister. On June 6, Israel invaded Lebanon. Fighting lasted nearly a year.
An Israeli false flag was pretext. Arafat was falsely blamed for Abu Nidal militants' attempted assassination of Israeli UK ambassador Shlomo Argov.
Israel got the war it wanted. Sharon was called the "Butcher of Beirut." Up to 20,000 Palestinians were massacred. Southern Lebanon remained occupied until May 2000. Israel still illegally holds Sheba Farms.
It's a 14-square mile water-rich area. It's near Syria's Golan. It's been lawlessly occupied since 1967.
Sabra and Shatila remain symbols of Sharonian ruthlessness. Around 18,000 Palestinians were slaughtered.
It turned out the way he planned. He let Phalangist fascists do his dirty work. Palestinian civilians were massacred in cold blood. Women were raped multiple times before being killed. Children were murdered like adults.
Whole families were shot, stabbed, bludgeoned to death, or buried dead or alive under homes. Some were tortured before dying. Bodies were decapitated.
Corpses were charred and violated. Eyes were gouged out. Faces were unrecognizable.
Sharon maliciously planned it. He led it. He called it "ridding the world of the center of international terrorism." No one to this day was punished.
Yitzhak Kahan headed an Israeli commission of inquiry. Its findings damaged Sharon. It didn't go far enough. On September 16, 1982, Sharon-directed Philangist death squads entered the camps.
Killings began "almost immediately." Militiamen entered homes. They began "slitting throats, axing, shooting, and raping, often taking groups outside and lining them up for execution."
"There was virtually no resistance. Only a very few camp residents" had small arms for protection. Slaughter continued until around sunset September 18.
Kahan Commission findings fell short of damning. Sharon's reputation was damaged. He wasn't held accountable. His actions were called "blunders."
He "failed to take appropriate measures" to prevent what happened, commission members said.
Sharon ordered mass murder. He directed it. He led it. He unleashed its full ferocity. He's fully responsible. Accountability didn't follow.
He refused to resign. On February 14, 1983, he lost his defense minister portfolio. He remained an unpunished cabinet minister without one.
He was fanatically anti-peace. He opposed 1991 Madrid conference talks. He was against the 1993 Oslo Accords.
He abstained on peace with Jordan. He opposed other peace initiatives. He rejected the so-called Quartet's road map.
It was doomed straightaway. Israeli violence, land theft, and targeted assassinations accompanied it. Sharon had no intention to seek peace.
He deplored it from soldier to general to defense minister to prime minister to his grave. "There cannot be a situation where there are two states for one people," he said. Let's make the issue clear."
He repeatedly blamed Palestinians for Israeli crimes. "My paramount responsibility is the security of the people of Israel and the state of Israel," he stressed.
Peace won't happen "without the abandonment and elimination of terrorism, violence and incitement." Israel alone commits it. Palestinians are repeatedly victimized.
Sharon's autobiography explained, saying:
Attacking Arabs aims "to create (in their minds) a psychology of defeat, to beat them every time, and to beat them so decisively that they would develop the conviction that they could never win."
Sharon deplored surgical strikes. He "believe(d) that whenever we were forced to strike, we should do so with the aim of inflicting heavy losses on the enemy troops."
He urged Israeli's premeditated/preemptive 1967 Six Day War. It was planned long in advance.
In 1948, Israel stole 78% of historic Palestine. In June 1967, it got what remained.
Settlement construction began straightaway. From 1967 - 1977, around 30 were established.
They were mainly in Jordan Valley locations. Settlers numbered about 5,000.
Under Prime Minister Menachem Begin (1977 - 1983), things changed dramatically. A new pattern emerged.
Heartland/central ridge West Bank settlements were established. Construction tempo increased.
Dozens of new settlements were added. Increasing amounts of Palestinian land were stolen. Construction continues unabated.
Israel controls over 60% of West Bank land. It claims Jerusalem as its exclusive capital. It's settler population exceeds 600,000. Numbers increase daily. Sharon endorsed unlimited expansion.
In 1969, he learned his military contract wouldn't be renewed. He fell out of favor with then IDF chief Bar Lev. It was over defending Sinai.
He turned to politics instead. He allied with Menachem Begin's Herut party. It was militantly hardline. It was ideologically Revisionist. It was hardcore Zionist. In 1988, it merged into Likud.
During the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Sharon was called back to reserve duty. In elections that followed, he won a Knesset seat.
A year later he resigned. From June 1975 to March 1976, he was Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's aide.
In 1977, he founded the Shlomtzion party. Months later, it merged into Likud. Sharon became Begin's agriculture minister.
He supported Gush Emunim (Block of the Faithful) extremists. It was militantly hardline. It was committed to unlimited settlement expansions. Israel's Yesha Council replaced it.
It's ideologically over-the-top. It's like Sharon. It wants Greater Israel exclusively Jewish. It wants Arabs ethnically cleansed.
Sharon expressed his settlement policy as follows:
"Everybody has to move, run and grab as many (Judean) hilltops as they can to enlarge the (Jewish) settlements because everything we take now will stay ours."
"Everything we don't grab will go to them." In 1981, Begin appointed Sharon defense minister. He took full advantage.
He held other ministerial portfolios. As Construction and Housing Minister, he was called "the Bulldozer."
It was for good reason. He ruthlessly destroyed Palestinian homes. Throughout his military and political career, Sharon's message was submit.
Abandon independence notions. Accept Palestine as Israel. You don't belong here. Leave or we'll uproot you.
Sharon's way was no-holds-barred ruthlessness. On September 28, 2000, he initiated Second Intifada violence.
He did so by provocatively visiting the Haram al-Sharif (the Nobel Sanctuary). Around 1,000 security forces accompanied him.
Resistance followed. He responded violently. He did so until February 2005. Nearly 4,200 Palestinians died. Included were 866 children and 271 women.
Many more were wounded. Over 3,500 were permanently disabled. Over 550 assassinations were committed. Around 8,600 Palestinians were imprisoned.
Over 2.3 million dunums of land were stolen. Another 73,600 were razed. Hundreds of thousands of trees were uprooted.
Over 7,700 homes were demolished. Another 94,000 were damaged. Sabra and Shatila slaughter reflected the worst of Sharonian evil.
So did Second Intifada viciousness. His Gaza disengagement plan had nothing to do with peace.
It was getting Israeli settlers out of harm's way. It was relocating them to stolen West Bank/East Jerusalem land. It was gaining US support for doing so.
He was prime minister from March 7, 2001 to April 14, 2006. He murdered Yasser Arafat. He poisoned him to death. Stroke-induced incapacitation ended his political career.
On December 18, 2005, minor ischemic stroke symptoms appeared. Doctors discovered heart trouble. It required surgery, they said.
Bed rest ahead of cardiac catheterization was prescribed. Sharon ignored medical advice. He returned to work immediately.
On January 4, 2006, hemorrhagic stroke followed. Two surgeries stopped bleeding in his brain. They didn't prevent stroke-induced coma.
Since November 6, 2006, he's been in longterm care. His cognitive abilities were destroyed.
In late 2013, his condition deteriorated. On January 1, he suffered renal failure. He's fading. He could anytime.
His legacy reflects horrendous high crimes. It bears repeating. A special place in hell awaits him. Perhaps he already arrived.
A Final Comment
Sharon believed the only good Arabs were dead ones. He spent his entire military and political career slaughtering them. State terror was official policy on his watch.
World leaders paid him tribute on his death. They did so disgracefully. One war criminal remembered another. Obama issued a statement, saying:
"On behalf of the American people, Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to the family of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and to the people of Israel on the loss of a leader who dedicated his life to the State of Israel."
"We reaffirm our unshakable commitment to Israel's security and our appreciation for the enduring friendship between our two countries and our two peoples."
"We continue to strive for lasting peace and security for the people of Israel, including through our commitment to the goal of two states living side-by-side in peace and security."
"As Israel says goodbye to Prime Minister Sharon, we join with the Israeli people in honoring his commitment to his country."
Sharon was an unapologetic war criminal. His legacy reflects
decades of mass slaughter, destruction and human misery.
Britain's David Cameron disgracefully said he made "brave and controversial decisions in pursuit of peace. Israel has today lost an important leader."
France's Francois Hollande called him "a major player in the history of his country. After a long military and political career, he choose to move toward dialogue with Palestine."
He did no such thing. He murdered Yasser Arafat. He deplored peace and reconciliation. He hated Arabs. His policies proved it.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reacted as expected. He's a reliable imperial tool. He's complicit in Western war crimes. He said:
Sharon "will be remembered for his political courage and determination to carry through with the painful and historic decision to withdraw Israeli settlers and troops from the Gaza Strip."
He got them out of harm's way. Future aggression was planned. He relocated them on stolen West Bank Palestinian land.
Gaza remains occupied. Suffocating siege continues. Ban ignores Palestinian suffering. He supports Israel's worst crimes.
Fatah official Jubril Rajoub said:
"Sharon was a criminal, responsible for the assassination of (Yasser) Arafat, and we would have hoped to see him appear before the International Criminal Court as a war criminal."
Hamas spokesman Salah el-Bardaweel added:
"We pray to Allah that Sharon and all the Zionist leaders who committed massacres against our people go to hell."
"When the Palestinian people remember Sharon, they only remember pain, blood, torture, displacement and crimes. We will never feel sorry for his death."
Nor should anyone!
________________________________
Stephen Lendman
e-mail:
lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net
Homepage:
http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/
Comments
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Flashback: Ariel Sharon's son Gilad: Israel should flatten Gaza like Hiroshima
14.01.2014 12:19
A decisive conclusion is necessary
by Gilad Sharon, Jerusalem Post, 18 November 2012
There is no middle path here – either the Gazans and their infrastructure are made to pay the price, or we reoccupy the entire Gaza Strip.
Anyone who thinks Hamas is going to beg for a cease-fire, that Operation Pillar of Defense will draw to a close and quiet will reign in the South because we hit targets in the Gaza Strip, needs to think again.
With the elimination of a murderous terrorist and the destruction of Hamas’s long-range missile stockpile, the operation was off to an auspicious start, but what now? This must not be allowed to end as did Operation Cast Lead: We bomb them, they fire missiles at us, and then a cease-fire, followed by “showers” – namely sporadic missile fire and isolated incidents along the fence. Life under such a rain of death is no life at all, and we cannot allow ourselves to become resigned to it.
A strong opening isn’t enough, you also have to know how to finish – and finish decisively. If it isn’t clear whether the ball crossed the goal-line or not, the goal isn’t decisive. The ball needs to hit the net, visible to all. What does a decisive victory sound like? A Tarzan-like cry that lets the entire jungle know in no uncertain terms just who won, and just who was defeated.
To accomplish this, you need to achieve what the other side can’t bear, can’t live with, and our initial bombing campaign isn’t it.
THE DESIRE to prevent harm to innocent civilians in Gaza will ultimately lead to harming the truly innocent: the residents of southern Israel. The residents of Gaza are not innocent, they elected Hamas. The Gazans aren’t hostages; they chose this freely, and must live with the consequences.
The Gaza Strip functions as a state – it has a government and conducts foreign relations, there are schools, medical facilities, there are armed forces and all the other trappings of statehood. We have no territorial conflict with “Gaza State,” and it is not under Israeli siege – it shares a border with Egypt. Despite this, it fires on our citizens without restraint.
Why do our citizens have to live with rocket fire from Gaza while we fight with our hands tied? Why are the citizens of Gaza immune? If the Syrians were to open fire on our towns, would we not attack Damascus? If the Cubans were to fire at Miami, wouldn’t Havana suffer the consequences? That’s what’s called “deterrence” – if you shoot at me, I’ll shoot at you. There is no justification for the State of Gaza being able to shoot at our towns with impunity. We need to flatten entire neighborhoods in Gaza. Flatten all of Gaza. The Americans didn’t stop with Hiroshima – the Japanese weren’t surrendering fast enough, so they hit Nagasaki, too.
There should be no electricity in Gaza, no gasoline or moving vehicles, nothing. Then they’d really call for a ceasefire.
Were this to happen, the images from Gaza might be unpleasant – but victory would be swift, and the lives of our soldiers and civilians spared.
IF THE government isn’t prepared to go all the way on this, it will mean reoccupying the entire Gaza Strip. Not a few neighborhoods in the suburbs, as with Cast Lead, but the entire Strip, like in Defensive Shield, so that rockets can no longer be fired.
There is no middle path here – either the Gazans and their infrastructure are made to pay the price, or we reoccupy the entire Gaza Strip. Otherwise there will be no decisive victory. And we’re running out of time – we must achieve victory quickly. The Netanyahu government is on a short international leash. Soon the pressure will start – and a million civilians can’t live under fire for long. This needs to end quickly – with a bang, not a whimper.
Gilad Sharon
Homepage:
http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-Ed-Contributors/A-decisive-conclusion-is-necessary
The end.
14.01.2014 19:51
I am looking forward to this man finally ending his lamentable existence standing tall before the international criminal court at the Hague. There are those who say it will never happen and worst of all they also profess sympathy for the antiwar movement. But it will. Like all things, these things are an impossibility until the day comes when they happen, and then it isn't a surprise anymore. In fact it was always expected.
Sharon is simply an example of the very worst facet of the Apartheid enclave of Israel. He was no hero, no warrior, no man of the people. It was Sharon who understood that Israeli expansion could best be acheived by deliberately taunting the Palestinians with his invasion of the Temple Mount in September 2000 which was of course, according to Israeli design, the beginning of the second Intifada. He went onto a highly sensitive site with the express intention of starting the violence which followed. Its this kind of terrible menace, parading as an act of peace, which is the favoured tactic of these Machiavellian cancers. Tony Blair is from the same stock. He operates to a predetermined hellish design and simply wraps it in the language of peace.
There is only one place for these monsters...and that is in hell where they belong.
We are peaceful people and we will no longer be putting up with this fraudulent menace a minute longer.
Tony Blair needs to understand that his opinions no longer count for anything at all. He got it wrong and when you get it wrong at that level, it is a deliberate act.
He is no more a peace envoy for the Middle East than I am the Pope.
Mike
Flashback: Avigdor Lieberman: We must do to Hamas what the US did to Japan
15.01.2014 07:40
[editorial note: Avigdor Lieberman is the current foreign minister of Israel.]
“Israel won’t be secure so long as Hamas is in power, and therefore we need to come to a decision that we will break the will of Hamas to keep fighting … We must continue to fight Hamas just like the United States did with the Japanese in World War II … Then, too, the conquering of the country was unnecessary.”
[Leader of the "Israel is Our Home" (Israel Beiteinu) party and former Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman, 13 January 2009]
“The more Qassam (rocket) fire intensifies and the rockets reach a longer range, they (the Palestinians) will bring upon themselves a bigger holocaust ["shoah"] because we will use all our might to defend ourselves,”
[Israeli Deputy Defence Minister Matan Vilnai, 28 February 2008]
________________________________
Notes:
1) Lieberman: We must do to Hamas what the US did to Japan
Jerusalem Post, 13 January 2009
2) Israel minister warns Palestinians of “holocaust”
by Adam Entous and Joseph Nasr, Reuters, 29 February 2008
________________________________
Avigdor Lieberman & Matan Vilnai
Homepage:
http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2009/01/14/opposition-party-leader-we-must-do-to-hamas-what-the-us-did-to-japan/