Sharon: “Putin Is a True Friend of Israel”

We have heard many recollections about Ariel Sharon, the late Israeli P.M., some critical, some laudatory. With Putin having surprised us with his laudatory comments about Nelson Mandela, we were not surprised to see what he said about Sharon. After all, when the two met in the Kremlin in November 2003, Sharon referred to Putin as "a true friend of Israel." Putin called Sharon a "great political and military figure” in condolences sent to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding that he had "high esteem of the personal qualities of Sharon and his activities aimed at defending the interests of Israel." This leaves no doubt that Putin was an admirer of Sharon.

Despite their differences over Iranian nuclear ambitions, Putin was even in 2003 gradually moving from support of the Palestinian cause to a position fairly similar to that of the U.S. on the Palestinian question. However, almost no observer has so far mentioned that above all, when they met in Moscow and Israel, Putin and Sharon shared their similar concerns, perceptions and policies regarding the problem of Islamic terrorism. Surely Putin was among Sharon´s admirers, with his similar resolve to eradicate Islamic terrorism in Chechnya and Dagestan during the second Chechen War.

Sharon´s repeated military actions on behalf of the only democratic state in the Middle East are well remembered by both friends and foes. His life was a succession of battles in defense of Israel; the 1948 National Liberation War, the 1956 Suez operation against Egypt, the 1967 Six Day War and the 1973 Yom Kippur War. To Israelis he was the “bulldozer;” yet to the Palestinians, he was the “Butcher.”

One of these writers visited Israel in 1973 when he was the most popular commander in the country. Many still recall Sharon with his bandaged head leading the Israeli tank units across the Suez Canal on pontoon bridges and surrounding Cairo. His was the brilliant blitzkrieg action that would have won the admiration of “Dessert Fox” Rommel.

Yet, while some praised Sharon´s heroism, others surely derided his merciless determination to eradicate PLO terrorism. In 1982 Beirut he was accused of allowing the Lebanese Christian militia to slaughter thousands of Palestinians. True Sharon never went as far as Putin, if it is true, as some allege, that the Russian president was behind the murders of critics of his policies in Chechnya.

Two of these were reporter Anna Politkovskaya, who was slain on Putin´s birthday in October, 1906, and Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko, who died a month in later in London of polonium poisoning slipped to him by Russian agents. So far Putin has not faced any inquiries into his rumored acts. Intriguingly, Yasser Arafat was rumored to have died of the same substance, but that has not been proven.

Yet, demonstrating the difference between democratic Israel and autocratic Russia, an inquiry found Sharon partially responsible for the massacre of the Palestinians in Lebanon. Together with accusations that he had lied about some aspects of the attack, his actions were deemed unacceptable warfare and he was fired by Israel´s judiciary.

Yet, as a member of the right wing Likud, Sharon, like the hawkish Richard Nixon, who opened up Red China, was able, wth his hardline credentials, to do what no one else could have done; negotiate Israel´s departure from the Gaza Strip. . Naturally, it was to the displeasure of thousands of Israeli settlers who had to be removed by crying soldiers.

Is there a lesson here? Sharon´s friend, Putin, is presently concerned with defeating the Islamic terrorists who threaten to disrupt his Winter Olympics in the coming weeks and are also menacing the Russian heartland. The terrorists are just as determined in their mission to disrupt Russia and obtain independence. Victory will only come, if at all, after unthinkable bloodshed. More than likely, Putin will defeat the terrorists. But afterwards, it will still be necessary to negotiate a lasting peace. If nothing else, Sharon´s ability to compromise with longstanding enemies and terrorists as he did over the Gaza Strip, might be a good example for the Russian president to follow.