Settler leader remembers Ariel Sharon with mixed emotions
By Dani DAYAN, Chief Foreign Envoy of the Yesha Council of Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria.
In the summer of 2005, we swore to never forgot what happened in Gush Katif and Northern Samaria, close to 10,000 Israelis uprooted in one, unimaginable sweep by Ariel Sharon, a move which caused immeasurable moral, human, security and political damage to Israel.
We can never forget, because first and foremost, we must make sure we learned our lesson and won’t make the same mistake twice. At least once a week, I am reminded of, or remind others of, the disengagement.
However, this week I am making an exception. This week, all of Israel mourns the loss of Ariel Sharon.
This week, I am remembering Ariel Sharon, the greatest Jewish military leader since the Maccabees. How he commanded the fateful battle for Latrun. A military leader who led the campaign at Sinai’s Um-Katef, crossing the Suez Canal and determining the outcome of the Yom Kippur War.
This week, I am remembering the Sharon who laid the foundations for new towns throughout the Land of Israel, in Samaria and in the Galilee, in Judea and the Negev, along the coastal plain and in the Sharon region, transforming the entire country’s landscape forever.
This week, I am remembering the Ariel Sharon who mocked his detractors, those who said he would never win the battle against terror by military force. The Prime Minister that gave the order to launch Operation Defensive Shield; saving thousands of lives. That’s the Arik I am remembering this week.
I certainly looked up to him. The Yom Kippur War, his decision to join the nationalist camp, the great drive he led in the Judea and Samaria settlement enterprise (which ended up becoming my physical and ideological home) — all of these things made me feel closer to Arik.
On this day, I won’t think back to summer 2005. I’m putting those memories away for now. On this day, I want to shed a pure crystal clear tear, to grieve together with all of Israel at the loss of an Israeli, Jewish, Zionist leader who did so much for the State of Israel and the Jewish nation. Ariel Sharon, of blessed memory.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
