If it wasn't for Sharon, Amoz would be writing his knee-jerk liberal articles from Paris or Brussels... amoz should be smart enough to know that in this neighborhood (the ME), Sharon-type force was a very necessary evil during Israel's fledgling years... amoz wishes he lived in a peaceful Utopia...well, too bad

Amos Oz i am sickened by your spineless heartless attack on a man that gave everything, including his health, so that all Israelis and all Jews (even cynical self-hating types like you) would live in peace. shame on you

This man is a prophet with a vision.. The anger which fuels attacks such as "self-hating" and other ridiculous accusations (#2), comes from the fact that he speaks the truth. Look now, objectively, at what Sharon has done...He has made many mistakes, both military and political. If you deny that then you are fooling yourselves. The amazing thing is the change of heart he has had over the last couple years...With the disengagement he was forgiven for everything and more so, now he will be missed..

What is it with this country? Just because one can write popular fiction, everyone thinks he must be good politically. Oz is a total moron as evidenced by the fact that he supported Oslo in the 90s.

The rest is typical radical left, self loathing garbage not worthy of consideration. * That which can't be accomplished with force can be accomplished with more force. * We will establish facts on the ground. The Arabs will have to live with them, and the rest of the world had better get used to it. Both are completely true.

Amos Oz has once said that a state, being an inaminate object , cannot be Jewish just like a chair or a tree cannot be Jewish. Yes, that is the level of the stupidity of this man.

This guilt ridden,feeling smothered non entity has the gall to bad mouth one of the greatest men produced by the State of Israel. Fortunately there will be justice when in history Sharon takes his place and girlie man OZ is nothing but a forgotten pile of ashes. Too bad the good ones are felled and the bad grass just continues with his meaningless existance.

I encourage you (and your readers) to have a look at this article by Iranian author Amir Taheri.... http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/printpage/0,5942,17763837,00.html

he should be embarassed of YOU, ignorant, leaving in his town...

ata mevayesh et ha am haisraeli.

Who doesn't make mistakes ? But I am quite sure israeli leadership didn't make to many mistakes, the fact that israel is still there is the proof of this.

drivel. Peace Now is a disgrace is as this article.

The real blind spot which plauged Israel was not in Sharon's vision of the chances of peace with the Arab world --which did shift-- but in the utter inflexibility of Peace Nownicks who really believe-like wow man-- that smoking a few joints and sitting round the camp fire will stop fanatical maniacs from carrying out suicide attacks. In fact, the terrorism really got going thanks to Oslo--- but here is the rub Amos, you guys have never said you were completely wrong eventhough 80% of Jewish Israelis think the positions you took and still take are wacko. So much for myopic left wing analysis.

Every thing he said up until the end was all truth Sharon went from one extreme to the next. But I don’t understand the last to parts of the article.

Once for all, the Israeli intelectual left must understand that life is different from an intelectual laboratory... I don't think that Sharon turned into a Palestinian lover, nor I did, neither most of the Israeli public didn't. And this won't happen on the next 100 years. But, like Sharon, we all became pragmatic. And that's why we like Sharon and his new way... pragmatism! Differently from the utopic left, once he had the entire picture or at least, a good part of it, he turned his views into actions because he knows, that life is not a library, nor the palestinians a polite person disputing the last chair of a Cafe in Ramat Aviv... or in Arad!

Are you stuck in Edison or trying to emulate Pinter/ Remember Hericlitus.

Oz you are a disgrace to the literal world & to the Israeli society,what ever you say or how many books you will write , you will not be rememberd in 10 years time , but SHARON WILL BE REMEMBERD FOR THE NEXT 100s YEARS you will never reach to even his ankle I am ashamed of having you as a Jew & I am not saying this only because of this article alone, but also because of what I have seen on the tv about you in the UK a few month back makes me puke just hearing your name you self hating Jew.

After Rabin's murder the Israeli Right tried (and failed) to stress that Rabin was a hero and a great man despite disagreeing with his actions. The Left refuses to make that mistake and that is healthy. The truth is always a bit more complicated then mindless deification of our past leaders, but the truth regarding Sharon and Rabin was always more complicated. The public should be allowed to applaud the good of these men while recognizing that they also made mistakes (and were guilty of greater sins as well).

Is Aerial Sharon still alive? Cant find anywhere where it says either way.