Illnesses of Ariel Sharon
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The Illnesses of Ariel Sharon are a series of medical problems that Ariel Sharon has had, especially coming to the fore in late 2005 and early 2006 when he suffered two strokes, the latter being quite severe.
Obesity
For many years the actual weight of Ariel Sharon was unknown, although from all forms of appearances, it is generally believed that he is to be obese. Amnon Dankner, editor of Maariv, speculated that Sharon himself did not know his own weight: "It could really be that the prime minister doesn't know how much he weighs... because fat people don't like to know how much they weigh." After Sharon's first stroke in late 2005, doctors released his medical information and revealed that Sharon weighed aproximately 260 pounds, almost eighty pounds heavier than the ideal weight for his height (5'7"), and meeting the medical definition of morbid obesity. [1] While this obesity in itself does not tend to lead to a stroke, the associated conditions, such as high cholesterol, do.
Stroke of December 2005
On December 18, 2005 Sharon was sent to Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital after suffering a mild stroke, specifically a relatively unusual type of stroke called a paradoxical embolism, in which a clot from the venous circulation crosses over into the arterial circulation through a hole between the right and left atrium called a patent foramen ovale or an atrial septal defect and goes to the brain, causing a transient speech and motor disturbance.
On his way to the hospital he lost consciousness but regained it shortly thereafter. He reportedly wanted to leave the hospital the evening after his arrival but the hospital wanted him to stay another day. He spent two days in the hospital and was to have had the small hole in his heart repaired by a cardiac catheterization procedure in early January.
Stroke of January 2006
On January 4, 2006 Sharon, suffered a second, far more serious stroke. A massive cerebral hemorrhage led to bleeding in his brain which doctors eventually overcame, following two seperate operations, the following morning. Sharon was placed on a respirator and some reports suggested that he was suffering from paralysis in his lower body, while others still said he was fighting for his life. His government duties have been handed over to Ehud Olmert.
Sharon had been taking blood thinners since the first stroke to prevent another clot, but such drugs also raise the risk of cerebral hemorrhages as well as contribute to difficulties preforming brain surgery.
International reaction
The Arab World
The reaction among Palestinians has been mixed. Hamas has said that the Middle East would be better off without Sharon, a view echoed by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command, whose leader, Ahmed Jibril told the Associated Press: "[w]e say it frankly that God is great and is able to exact revenge on this butcher. ... We thank God for this gift he presented to us on this new year". [2] Islamic Jihad leader Anwar Abu Taha was quoted as saying "We are not sorry about his health and let him go to hell whether he lives or dies..."
However, other Palestinians have spoken positively of Sharon. According to Haaretz, a Palestinian commentator on the Al-Arabiya television network referred to Sharon as "the first Israeli leader who stopped claiming Israel had a right to all of the Palestinians" land, a reference to Israel's unilateral disengagement plan. Ghazi al-Saadi, head of the Amman-based Palestinian Research Center said that "a live Sharon is better for the Palestinians now, despite all the crimes he has committed against us."
Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister Nabil Sha'ath said that "On a purely humanitarian level we feel sorry for Mr. Sharon", and he and other Palestinian leaders, including Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas publicly expressed concern over the effect Sharon's illness would have on the peace process.
According to the Iranian Students' News Agency, on January 6, controversial Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke to Shiite clerics in the city of Qom and told them he was hoping for Sharon's death. [3]. The United States quickly condemned Ahmadinejad's comment as "hateful and disgusting" and U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack called Ahmadinejad's remarks "part of a continuing stream of hateful invective that has come from this president."
Haaretz also reported that "[r]epresentatives from the offices of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordanian King Abdullah II contacted Sharon's aides to express their concern over the prime minister's condition and their wishes for his recovery."
The United States and Europe
US President George W. Bush issued a statement saying he shared the concerns of the Israeli people "and we are praying for his recovery."
American televangelist Pat Robertson said on the January 5 edition of his show, The 700 Club, that God was punishing Sharon for dividing Israel. He also suggested that former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated in 1995 for the same reason. [4]