Thousands of Israelis came to bid farewell to Sharon

The funeral of the 11th Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ended at 16:00 local time in Israel.

As VK already reported, Ariel Sharon was buried on Anemone Hill, located not far from his family farm of Shikma. Despite the fact that the entrance to the vicinity of the farm was closed to cars, thousands of residents of nearby towns and villages travelled several kilometers to bid farewell to Sharon.
Among those who came to pay their last respects, Bedouin community leaders were particularly noticeable. This was no accident: Ariel Sharon to a large extent helped transform the Bedouins into an integral part of Israeli society and bring them to serve in the Israeli army. Today, Bedouin soldiers and officers constitute a significant part of the Israel Defense Forces and are considered essential by experts and masters of the terrain field survey.

Sharon's coffin was carried to the grave by eight generals.

Speaking at the funeral, the chief of staff of the Israeli army, Benny Gantz, said that he served in the parts created by Sharon, under commanders educated by Sharon, and therefore well aware of the contribution that the deceased made to the building of the IDF. "Rest in peace, Arik: we promise to be true to your lessons and guarantee the country's security at any of its places," General Ganz said.

The eldest son of Sharon, Gilad, gave an unusually impassioned speech.

"Welcome home, Dad," he said. "Physicians say that a man cannot live without a kidney for two weeks, but you could. By the same token, in 1967 everyone was assured that tanks would not manage to break the defense of Abu Katefa, but you did it. Then in 1973 everyone was confident that our army would not be able to make a throw to the other side of the Suez Canal, but you did it. Because you were a man who knew how to do the impossible".

The life story of this remarkable man is finished. But I believe it will attract historians, writers and politicians many times, because Sharon was one of the most prominent figures in the history of the planet of the second half of the 20th - early 21st centuries.