Ariel Sharon, former Israeli Prime Minister, dead at 85
January 11, 2014
(CNN) — Ariel Sharon, whose half century as a military and political leader in Israel was marked with victories and controversies, died Saturday after eight years in a coma, Israeli Army Radio reported. Sharon was 85. Sharon died at Sheba Medical Center in the Tel Aviv suburb of Tel Hashomer.
Many in the Arab world called Sharon “the Butcher of Beirut” after he oversaw Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon while serving as defense minister. He was a major figure in many defining events in the Middle East for decades, including his decision to turn over Gaza and parts of the West Bank to Palestinian control.