“My Ariel will not shift this stain”
Ariel Sharon died a few days ago after lingering in a coma for the last eight years. He is garnering tributes that range from glowing for his role in 1948, to somewhat less so for his time during the first Lebanese war.
That at least is something I feel I can comment on. In 1982 I spent part of that summer on the West Bank wandering about the joys of Ramallah and Nablus, watching the tanks on their enormous carriers thundering through the Negev desert up to the Lebanese border.
Beyond the border lay two camps Sabra and Shatilla filled with Palestinians.
Lebanese Christian militia were blamed for the massacre but as the camps were occupied and under the protection of Israel collusion was suspected. As the extemt of Israeli involvement became clear Ariel Sharon then Defense Minister, bore personal responsibility “for ignoring the danger of bloodshed and revenge”, and he was forced to resign. Ariel Sharon was exposed as a thug who thought with his fists.
The above is a cartoon I did at the time for the Scotsman newspaper. Ariel is the brand name of a British washing powder.
Copyright David Macadam 2014.
The Oligarch Kings 
Hi David, Thanks for a great cartoon! With the connections that seem to be missing from mainstream media. That Mr Sharon, was a hawk in dove’s clothing?
The other thing about him, that has me head scratching. Is why all the media fuss over just another prime minister? When we consider how many other Prime Ministers in the world, die and get buried with barely a footnote. There has been a succession of press releases throughout the eight years he spent in a coma. With his death the culmination of a series of announcements about Mr. Sharon, that would have befitted some minor royalty figure. So, as an avid news reader. I wonder why?
Lastly, I might comment about your wandering in the summer of 1982. For some minutes from the context of the comment. It seemed you might have meant “wondering”? Then reading again. I saw you had used the correct spelling of wandering. After which, prompted my further reading of how and why Mr. Sharon was held culpable.
A tangled web of mid-east politics, that saw many young lives snuffed out by those with an axe to grind. Which again, makes me wonder at why he being is lauded? In this time of his death.
Thanks, again, for your blog!
Sharon WAS responsible for some not so nice stuff…….
It must have been unpleasant for Biden to speaking about the guy who founded the Israeli settlements policy….
Few remember the snub Biden got a few years back from the country after getting on Air Force 2 after a visit….
Yes Jim. The problem is distinguishing one snub from the next! I have difficulty remembering Biden is still alive. Indeed if it wasnt for the gaffs would we ever notice him?
He, he, he…..
means he’s doing a good job!……
‘run silent…run deep’….