Gilad Sharon, former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s youngest son, joins The Takeaway this morning to talk about his new biography of his father. A controversial and polarizing figure, Ariel Sharon dedicated his life to protecting Israel, but how best to preserve his country’s borders became a lifelong question. Sharon lived a life of contradictions. As Minister of Defense in 1982, he was found to be indirectly responsible for the massacre of hundreds of Palestinians at the Sabra and Chatila refugee camps in Lebanon by Lebanese Christians. As prime minister, violence between Israelis and Palestinians skyrocketed. Yet his decision to relinquish control of Gaza to the Palestinians in 2005 may yet define his legacy. Sharon, who is now 83, suffered strokes in December 2005 and January 2006. He remains immobilized, though his son claims he is somewhat responsive. Sharon represents a generation of Israelis who fought for their country’s independence and lived to see Israel change and grow. Joel Greenberg, Jerusalem correspondent for The Washington Post, looks back at Sharon’s uncertain legacy.
while Sharon spent most of his career fighting to secure Israel’s borders…his legacy will be shaped by his decision to give up Israeli territory. In February 2005, Israel relinquished Gaza to Palestine: