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Ariel Sharon: An Intimate Portrait ReviewThis book is the story of a friendship, between a journalist and a major military and political figure. The focus however is on the life, and most importantly public actions of one of the great leaders of modern Israel, Ariel Sharon. The book traces the career of Sharon from the Israeli War of Independence in 1948 to his final actions as Prime Minister of Israel when on January 2, 2006 Sharon suffered a massive disabling stroke. A short while later Uri Dan himself came down with terminal cancer and passed away before his revered friend.
Dan was for many years accused in Israel of being only a 'yes-man' for Sharon. But that is hardly the case. The book is filled with instances of disagreement in which Dan openly as good friend gave Sharon his critical advice.The greatest difference was in Sharon's decision to make a unilaterial disengagement from Gaza in the summer of 2005. It is interesting that in an earlier section of the book Sharon explains why two of the settlements which were removed were of vital security significance.
The overall story however is not focused on differences of opinion, but rather on cooperative action in service of a cause and ideal - end both Dan and Sharon believed in with all their hearts, the founding and defending of the state of Israel. It is their total committment to this cause which was at the heart of their friendship.
Sharon's deeds are so numerous and legendary that it is difficult to know where to begin to chronicle them. He is of all the great Israeli modern soldiers Dayan, Rabin, Meir Har- Tsion, Avigdor Kahalani the one who is great at at every level of operation. He is the founder of the 101 Unit which combatted Arab terror in the fifties. He was the one who formulated the Israeli battle- orders by which an officer ideally goes forward first always saying 'After me" He illustrated more than one time the principle of not leaving wounded soldiers behind . He was of all the Israeli military leaders the one who truly understood the futility of static defense, the Bar- Lev line, and the one whose turnaround action in crossing the Suez Canal in October 1973 turned an Israeli military defeat into a victory.
Dan was not an armchair journalist but trained specially so as to be able to accompany Sharon on the field of battle. His descriptions of Sharon's control and command , his low sure voice at the most critical moments of battle help explain why Sharon's soldiers so loved and trusted him.
Dan gives a lot of space here to Sharon's controversial part in the First Lebanon War. He makes a strong case that the Kahane commission and Chief Justice Barak did a great injustice in blaming Sharon for what the soldiers of the Phalangists did to the Palestinians. Dan also describes the famous libel suit in which Sharon unprecedentedly won a retraction from the American magazine 'Time'.
Sharon has been not only a major military but a major political figure in Israel. He was instrumental in helping found the Likud which in 1977 became the basis of the first non- Labor party led government in Israel. Dan also tells the story of Sharon's massive election victory over Ehud Barak and his struggle to restore badly damaged Israeli security which had come in the wake of the Oslo process.
Without going into the family story at great length Dan touches upon major events such as the loss of Sharon's first wife , the death in a shooting accident of his eleven year old oldest son. Dan also indicates what was a well- known public fact in Israel Sharon's very successful marriage to Lily who was his principal help and source of support. Though Dan does not speculate upon this many believe that her death from cancer had a deleterious effect on Sharon's political policies.
Insiders , and close- followers of Israeli politics will note certain emphases and omissions in the book. Dan gives great credit to one Sharon adviser Aryeh Genger while saying next to nothing about the person thought to be Sharon's right- hand man in his last few years, Dov Weisglas. Dan does not say much about the role of Omri Sharon and his influence on his father's politics. He mentions without comment Omri's conviction for election- fraud.
The book contains narrative sections interspersed with interviews with Ariel Sharon. In these we again see his fighting spirit, his optimism, his dedication to and concern for the security of Israel, his committment to the Jewish people.
Sharon was by some affectionately and by some pejoratively called in Israel, 'The Bulldozer' He was time and again whether it was in founding the whole settlement movement , or removing Yamit from Sinai the one who could do what no one else would do. Instructively in an early conversation with Ben- Gurion cited in the book, Sharon is asked about Moshe Dayan's appointment as Minister. Sharon says then that he thinks that Dayan is suitable for every position, save one, Prime Minister. And this because Sharon says Dayan tends to avoid taking responsibility. Sharon of course was the opposite of this. He took responsibility and more than responsibility for countless actions taken in the defense of Israel. At times he was ( During the Lebanese War) the most vilified person in Israel.In his last years he was the greatly esteemed leader who would have won reelection in 2006 had he not been incapacitated.
Uri Dan's last words in this book tell about his reaction to the news of Sharon's second and finally disabling stroke. He said that he began to cry and has been crying ever since.
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