Ariel Sharon is a LEADER, a person whose vision and ability cuts
through mind boggling issues and get effective results.
During the Yom Kippur War, when Egypt made a surprise attack on the
Holiest Day of the Jewish Calendar when all Israelis were
celebrating - (much like our own Lunar New Year mood).
The Egyptian launched a surprise attack from the west of Suez,
pushed Israel almost half way into the Sinai Peninsula, and with
Syria launching a simultaneous surprise attack that saw them
regaining the Golan Heights, allowing the Syrians to overlook half
way into Israel with their artillery.
Israel was pushed critically against the wall.
Sharon was the Commander of a Tank Division in the Southern Region
of the Sinai Peninisula, and was constantly probing Egyptian lines
for a weak spot.
Having found one, and assessing the general situation of the war
front, he ignored direct orders to hold his position, but went
ahead to cross to the west bank of the Suez Canal, and made a
flanking attack that took him behind Egyptian lines, driving his
tank division all the way up the Suez Canal, nearly reaching
Cairo.
His bold move cut off and trapped almost two third of the Egyptian
Army on the East Side of the Suez and on the Sinai Peninsula; and
brought the entire Egyptian attack into a halt.
After the war, despite his insubordination, Ariel Sharon's action
made him a hero, and he was quietly moved out of the Israeli Armed
Force.
He became a right-wing Nationalist pushing for the Jew settlements
on occupied land, which he intended to be a buffer between the
Palestinian areas and Israel.
Unfortunately, the settlements became the festering reason that
made a bad situation even worse for the security of Israel - it
resulted in the Palestinian Intifada uprising, timed bombs turned
into suicide bombings, and constantly new recruits who are
enthusiastic to die for the Palestinian cause.
It took courage and vision for Ariel Sharon to see through the
smoke of the war, and found a weak side in this entire battle lines
between the Jews and the Palestinians.
He build concrete walls along questionable new arbitrarily and
unilatterally decided territorial lines for the wall to be built;
and then decided to pull out all the settlements on questionably
seized land even against the wishes of his own political
supporters.
It allowed world opinion to change in support of Israel's new
vision, it allowed Palestinians to have a sense of being in charge
of their own affairs and political future, it brought a sense of
new hope to the entire process of finding new way to handle
relations between the Jews and the Palestinians.
Is there another man who has a mind and vision to be able to
penetrate the smoke of all complicated issues, to find the simplest
action that help to cut into the weakest point of the issues, so as
to have a new line of action into the future ?
Ariel Sharon is a leader, who realise the futility of his original
plans for the settlement on occupied land, and made a U-Turn to his
own long held vision.
For his age, it is surprising that his wisdom tell him to be honest
about the situation and make a U-Turn.
Can we say the same for our own 'ELITE LEADERSHIP' ?
