I personally wouldn't be so harsh.
Sharon is everything that Trimble should've been in Northern Ireland. He'd shown himself to be tough and very much working in the selfish interests of the state of Israel in the past (which is where a lot of the unsavoury stuff occurred), but he then cashed-in that clout to force through unpalatable changes that literally no-one else could've made to the State.
Without Sharon there would still be Jewish settlements in Gaza. Without Sharon, withdrawal from the West Bank would still be a Palestinian pipe-dream, whereas it is now largely an inevitability whether he survives or not. And without Sharon there wouldn't be a centrist moderate party in Israel - let alone one that looks likely to assume the reins of government (even without him).
So the guy undoubtedly did bad things in his previous military roles. But rather than take the easy route and lord around in leadership off the back of those, he instead used them to force through unpalatable changes that no-one else would've had the clout/trust to do. The Midlle East is currently a better place for his political leadership.
The fact that the Palestinian authorities themselves are unnerved by Sharon's illness says it all. The fact that the second Intifada has ceased after 5 years also says a lot.
So - rather than not be upset if Sharon dies screaming, I'm more upset that there's no equivalent to him ANYWHERE in the Arab world (and particularly amongst the Palestinians). The Palestinias and the rest of the Arab world need somee who likewise has the balls and raw leadership required to make the decisions required for peace, dragging those pathetic regimes into the 21st Century and making a brave Arab contribution to Middle Eastern peace.
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