Of Rose Fostanes and Ariel Sharon

While we cheer for our fellow Filipina, we will mourn the passing of Israeli ex-prime minister Ariel Sharon. He died of stroke-induced coma (which he never recovered from) on January 11, 2014 at the age of 85. He would have been 86 years old this coming February 26.

Arik, as he was known, was one of the legendary Israeli generals since the creation of Israeli Defense Force in 1948, the same year Israel declared its independence. He had been a soldier in the War Of Independence, and a very efficient strategist in the Suez Crisis in 1956, Six-Day War in 1967, the War Of Attrition, and the Yom Kippur War of 1973. While Arik was the minister of defense, he directed the Lebanon War in 1982. Years later, he was elected Prime Minister. He suffered stroke, leading Ehud Olmert to succeed him as prime minister. The latter became the Interim Prime Minister of Israel in 2006 until he was succeeded by Benjamin Netanyahu (who is currently Prime Minister for the second time, the first one being elected in 1996).