Ariel Sharon (Halso known by his diminutive Arik, born Ariel Scheinermann, February 26, 1928 – January 11, 2014) is an Israeli general and politician who serves as the 11th Prime Minister of Israel from March 2001 until April 2006.

Sharon is a commander in the Israeli Army from its creation in 1948.

As a soldier and then an officer, he participates prominently in the 1948 Palestine war, becoming a platoon commander in the Alexandroni Brigade and taking part in many battles, including Operation Bin Nun Alef.

He is an instrumental figure in the creation of Unit 101 and the reprisal operations, as well as in the 1956 Suez Crisis, the Six-Day War of 1967, the War of Attrition, and the Yom-Kippur War of 1973.

Yitzhak Rabin has called Sharon "the greatest field commander in our history".

Upon retirement from the military, Sharon enters politics, joining the Likud party, and serves in a number of ministerial posts in Likud-led governments in 1977–92 and 1996–99.

As Minister of Defense, he directs the 1982 Lebanon War.

An official inquiry finds that he bore "personal responsibility" for the Sabra and Shatila massacre and recommends that he be removed as Defense Minister.

His role in the massacre lead to him being known as the "Butcher of Beirut" among Arabs.

From the 1970s through to the 1990s, Sharon champions construction of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

He becomes the leader of the Likud in 2000, and servesas Israel's prime minister from 2001 to 2006.

However, as Prime Minister, in 2004–05 Sharon orchestrates Israel's unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip.

Facing stiff opposition to this policy within the Likud, in November 2005 he leaves Likud to form a new party, Kadima

He had been expected to win the next election and was widely interpreted as planning on "clearing Israel out of most of the West Bank", in a series of unilateral withdrawals.

After suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006, Sharon remains in a permanent vegetative state until his death in January 2014.