Below is a collection of sponsored tributes in memory of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. To be included in this page, email tribute@jta.org.
Ariel Sharon chatting with former Prime Minister David Ben Gurion during a bus tour of Israeli army installations in 1971. (GPO via Getty Images)
The Jewish Federations of North America
The Jewish Federations of North America mourn the death of Israel’s former Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, who passed away today at the age of 85 following medical complications.
JFNA Board of Trustees Chair Michael Siegal and JFNA President and CEO Jerry Silverman issued a joint statement lamenting Sharon’s passing. “Today, Jewish Federations mourn the loss of a great Israeli leader. Ariel Sharon was a highly regarded military leader, but he was also a peacemaker. One of the country’s most daring and celebrated generals, he was also a man who was able to take bold steps in the hopes of achieving peace.
Sharon worked his entire life for the unity of the Jewish People. He was closely engaged with Jewish communities around the world, and acutely aware of their needs and aspirations. In all his leadership roles, and especially as prime minister of the Jewish state, Sharon engaged with Jewish communities across the Diaspora. He was a regular speaker at Jewish Federation events and is warmly remembered for welcoming countless Federation groups to his private home in the Negev.
Today it is not only the State of Israel that has lost one of its most celebrated figures, but the Jewish people as a whole. Arik Sharon was not just the prime minister of the Jewish state, but a determined and inspirational leader of the entire Jewish world. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his sons Omri and Gilad, to the entire Sharon family, and to all the people of Israel.”
Jewish Federation leadership is sending official condolences to the Sharon family and to the Israeli government, and will be represented at the late prime minister’s funeral.
The Israel Policy Forum
Israel Policy Forum mourns the death of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon who devoted his life to serving the Jewish state.
Prime Minister Sharon will be remembered for his bold leadership and unwavering commitment to protecting Israel’s security. He was also deeply dedicated to safeguarding Israel’s future as a strong, Jewish, and democratic state and had the courage to take great personal and political risks to ensure that Israel remain as such.
Our deepest condolences go to Prime Minister Sharon’s family and to the people of Israel. May his legacy of leadership, courage and commitment serve as an inspiration for the leaders of the State of Israel, and for the Jewish people.
National Jewish Democratic Council
The National Jewish Democratic Council mourns the death of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. A true defender of Israel, General Sharon served in the I.D.F. and in critical Cabinet posts prior to being elected Prime Minister in 2001. During his term, he worked to ensure a more secure future for the state by cooperating with other nations, including the United States, on the “road map” with hopes of bringing about peace. We join with the American people and all of Israel in extending our sympathies to his family and the country he so loved. Barukh dayan ha’emet (Blessed is the True Judge).
