By: Cynthia Godfrey

Cynthia Godfrey — Fri, 14 Feb 2014 23:08:04 +0000

One should not speak ill of the dead and there is a case for this in speaking about Ariel Sharon.
There is no question that Ariel Sharon was undoubtedly a valiant soldier and his tactics saved Israel many times.
But the two things I remember about him, and I hope someone can correct me, and that is was he not the Commander when the Christian Lebanese murdered men women and children Shitila? I know I wrote a letter at that time to the Israeli Embassy expressing my sadness and horror, which obviously was ignored.
Then of course, there is the undoubtedly provocative visit to the Dome of the Rock, which possibly started the lst Intifada. Since which time the ongoing “war” between Arab and Jew has gone from bad to worse, with so many men, woman and children dying.
When news came that he had had a stroke, on a human level it was a tragedy that such a powerful man had been struck down so cruelly, and thus he lingered for years until his recent death.
Who can judge this man fairly, sadly I cannot, but to eulogise him to the extent that is now current, I feel personally that it is not justified. Unlike the mourning of Golda Meir and Ben Gurion, who were giants in Israel when she needed them the most.

True leaders who displayed leadership and foresight, but with a tough and fair streak as far as the Arabs were concerned. I do not like Netanyahu’s right wing politics. He maybe strong, but he is also not thinking about the future because he would know that eventually as with Begin, who fought the British at the time of the Mandate, retaliation does not win and I think it was Churchill who said, “talk talk is better than war, war”

Comments on: “Prime Minister of the Jewish People”

By: Cynthia Godfrey