January 12, 2014

The International Rabbinic Fellowship, (IRF), a fellowship of Orthodox rabbis, clergy and communal scholars, mourns the passing of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Ariel Sharon devoted his entire life in service to the State of Israel and the Jewish people. Arik, as he was affectionately known, put his own life at risk as a celebrated commander of armored battalions in the IDF and sustained injuries during combat. His daring decision to cross the Suez Canal with his troops in the early days of the Yom Kippur War was critical in turning the tide of the battle in favor of the Jewish State. Sharon, when out of the public eye, was a farmer who made the desert bloom and sought to secure Israel's future with a plow and staff and not a sword. 

Prime Minister Sharon served as a minister in many governments and in many roles throughout his political career. He was a devoted patriot, committed to the cause of ensuring the safety and security of the State of Israel and its inhabitants. He was both a beloved and controversial figure in the Israeli political landscape whose career put him at the center of many of the successes as well as mistakes and wrenching episodes that are part of the grand story that is the State of Israel.