JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has been felled by a
massive stroke and his death could be announced within hours.
Sharon, 77, was rushed by ambulance to a Jerusalem hospital from his
ranch in southern Israel on late Wednesday and was diagnosed as having
sustained a massive cerebal hemorrhage, Middle East Newsline reported. The responsibilities of the prime
minister were transferred to Vice Premier Ehud Olmert as the state media
paid tribute to Sharon.
"The chances of his recovery are nil and the chances that he will
survive are nearly as low," an official who has been monitoring Sharon's
condition said. "The ministers are operating on the premise that Sharon will
not return to power."
Officials said Sharon's death or incapacitation would not disrupt plans
for national elections on March 28. They said Israel would be required to
elect a leadership to replace Sharon, regarded as the most powerful prime
minister since the nation's founder David Ben-Gurion.
"He controlled every part of government, particularly the military," an
official said. "For nearly the last three years, everything depended on his
orders."
Officials said Sharon, who underwent a 10-hour brain operation on
Thursday, was on life-support systems. They said many of his vital organs
were no longer functioning.
Most of the prime minister's aides left the hospital as rumors swept
Jerusalem that Sharon had been deemed brain-dead. A hospital spokesman said
on Thursday afternoon that Sharon was under anesthesia and remained in
difficult condition.
"We can say he is in a difficult condition," Hadassah Hospital director
Dr. Shomo Mor Yosef said. "At this point, his vital signs are stable."
On Dec. 18, Sharon sustained what was termed a minor stroke. After two
days, Sharon left the hospital and aides insisted that the prime minister
was in excellent condition.
Officials said Israel's Foreign Ministry has already informed allies,
including the United States, that Sharon was likely to die. They quoted
diplomatic cables as saying that Sharon, even if he survives the stroke,
would be incapacitated.
The death or incapacitation of Sharon has shattered the prospect that
his new party Kadima would win parliamentary elections. Until Wednesday,
polls had envisioned that Kadima would win as many as 40 of the 120 seats in
the Knesset. Without Sharon, however, Kadima was expected to win 13 seats,
according to a poll sponsored by Israel's state radio station.
Sharon's condition has been closely followed in the international
community. Over the next few hours, Olmert was expected to be in contact
with Egypt, Jordan, the United States and the European Union.
"Everybody is following this with concern regarding these developments
and the eyes of all are directed to the hospital," Olmert told the Cabinet
on Thursday. "This is a difficult situation that we are not used to."
Over the last two years, Sharon objected to appeals by the military for
a massive ground invasion of the Gaza Strip meant to destroy Palestinian
insurgency groups. Sharon had also restrained the military from conducting
massive retaliation against Hizbullah rocket strikes from Lebanon.
Unlike Sharon, Olmert has never operated a defense or security ministry
and provided little input in Israel's national security policy. Officials
said over the next few hours Olmert would be briefed by intelligence chiefs
and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, himself a former military chief of staff
groomed and appointed by Sharon.
On Thursday, Mofaz said there were no pressing military issues that
required decisions by Olmert. He said Israel has not faced any urgent
threats over the last week.
"The weekly security assessment meeting that would take place in the
afternoon would not be different from previous weeks," Mofaz said. "It will
deal with the issues of last week and their results, and, of course, issues
expected for next week."
