One of the most controversial figures in Israeli political and military history. Before entering politics, he was a well-known respected general, considered the greatest field commander in the country's history and one of its greatest military strategist. Upon retirement from the IDF, he entered politics and was a member of the Likud. He served as Defense Minister up until the onslaught of the second Lebanon War. Sharon was a proponent of settlement construction through the 1990's, yet as prime minister in 2005, he initiated the disengagement from the Gaza Strip, a move frowned upon by his party. Facing opposition, he left the Likud and found Kadima. Sharon suffered a severe stroke in 2006 which left him hospitalized in a vegetative state up until his death in 2014.
