Paul Calvert and Daniel Seaman look back at the Israeli Prime Minister's life

It was not a simple decision, but at that time he believed it was in the best interest strategically for the State of Israel. For Ariel Sharon, anything he did was based first and foremost on his understanding of what is strategically important for the survival of the State of Israel.

Paul: That was my next question. He did pull the settlers out of Gaza. Do you think that was a mistake because ever since rockets have been fired into Israel and of course eventually the war as well?

Daniel: There are a lot of things said about and it can be viewed both ways. Obviously for people who believe that Israel needs to remove communities in order to have peace with our neighbours it was a popular move and a good move. But it's hard to tell, only history will eventually tell.

In the short run though it hasn't proven itself with the expected result, which was that 'we withdraw and it brings us closer to peace'. What we had is obviously the opposite. Withdrawing from the Gaza Strip widened the area which was under attack. (Originally) only the Jewish communities in the Gaza Strip were under attack up until the disengagement, but once we withdrew from there, instead of bringing the promised results of peace, it expanded the area. Initially a third of Israel was under rocket fire but after the operation, a year and a half ago, you had almost half of Israel, including Tel Aviv, a major metropolitan of Israel.

Ariel Sharon

So this (left us with the) question 'what was the benefit of withdrawing and then necessitating Israel moving in there again?'

But if you look at it from the tactical perspective, this situation does give us a legitimate claim to the international community: Up until the Gaza withdrawal we were required to take risks for peace, and this was said clearly by the President of the United States, President Bill Clinton, that Israel should take risks for peace.

Today these risks are not hypothetical, they are not theoretical. We know exactly (what can happen) if we needed to withdraw from Judea -Samaria with some piece of paper that promised us peace with the Palestinians: in the Gaza strip the PLO, who were our peace partners and were in control when we withdrew, within a year they were overthrown by HAMAS who have no acceptance of any Israeli presence, whether in Gaza, Judea-Samaria or in Israel proper. Who's to tell us that that won't happen in Judea- Samaria?

And second, you have the rocket fire and the violence. So for the average Israeli today we are far more cautious about any concessions that Israel makes and I don't think it can be argued against. We do have a legitimate case, to raise concerns about what a future peace process would entail, and Israelis are going to be far more cautious.

So in that sense it does give legitimacy to the concerns of the Israeli people. On the other hand it didn't succeed because we are under assault.

Paul: Now what legacy did Ariel Sharon leave Israel?

Daniel: That is still for history to determine but I think that for his later life, his era as Prime Minister, the jury is still out.

For his earlier life as a military commander I think it is unparalleled. Some people say that since the Maccabeans there has not been a military commander, a Jewish Military commander, a personality like Ariel Sharon. He is a once in a Generation Military commander, who saved the state of Israel during the Yom Kippur war. It was his action of crossing the Suez Canal in a military maneuver that is still being taught; the sheer brilliance.

He also resolved the terrorism that was directed against Israelis from Gaza in the late 60's and in the early period immediately after the 6 day war; and he ended the military Intifada from the Palestinians in 2004.

The actions taken by Israel were led by his guidance and his military doctrine that: 'You follow through without compromise in a military battle. You go for victory. You don't think about how you are going to resolve things. You don't think how you are going to leave an option for peace. You think about defeating the enemy'. I think more than anything else Ariel Sharon's legacy is 'You fight to win. You don't fight to compromise. And once you win, then you have the ability to see compromises'. I think that is his legacy .