Letters: Ariel Sharon’s legacy
Re “Israeli leader was revered and reviled,” Obituary, Jan. 12
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s passing does indeed stir mixed feelings.
To Israelis of the older generation, he was a war hero and a credit to the state of Israel. To the right wing — including the Likud Party, which he led from 2000 to 2004, — he was a traitor to their cause. To many Palestinians, no leader of Israel is acceptable.
From 2004 onward, Sharon pursued policies that were detrimental to Israel’s security, changing entirely his previous persona. His forced evacuation of Israelis from settlements in the Gaza Strip in 2005 led to thousands of rocket strikes by Hamas into Israel, leaving its citizens traumatized.
Sharon’s legacy will be mixed. Only time will tell if his concessions to the Palestinians in his later years will be regarded positively or negatively.
Nelson Marans
Silver Spring, Md.
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