US Vice President Joe Biden and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair joined the sombre ceremony in front of the Israeli parliament, Sharon’s coffin draped in Israel’s blue and white flag, bathed in winter sunshine.
‘We are accompanying to his final resting place today, a soldier, an exceptional soldier, a commander who knew how to win,’ said Israeli President Shimon Peres.
Sharon, 85, died on Saturday after spending the last eight years of his life motionless in a hospital bed, pitched into a coma by a stroke and far from the public gaze.
His death has reopened debate into his legacy, with foes denouncing his ruthless conduct in military operations while friends praised him as a strategic genius who had stunned the world in 2005 by pulling Israeli troops and settlers out of the Gaza Strip - a Palestinian territory in the south. ‘The security of his people was always Arik’s unwavering mission - a non-breakable commitment to the future of Jews, whether 30 years or 300 years from now,’ Biden said.
‘We are accompanying to his final resting place today, a soldier, an exceptional soldier, a commander who knew how to win,’ said Israeli President Shimon Peres.
Sharon, 85, died on Saturday after spending the last eight years of his life motionless in a hospital bed, pitched into a coma by a stroke and far from the public gaze.
His death has reopened debate into his legacy, with foes denouncing his ruthless conduct in military operations while friends praised him as a strategic genius who had stunned the world in 2005 by pulling Israeli troops and settlers out of the Gaza Strip - a Palestinian territory in the south. ‘The security of his people was always Arik’s unwavering mission - a non-breakable commitment to the future of Jews, whether 30 years or 300 years from now,’ Biden said.