[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 10 (Thursday, January 16, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E84]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         DEATH OF ARIEL SHARON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DOUG COLLINS

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 16, 2014

  Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, Israel laid former 
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to rest in a coffin draped in blue and 
white. What Ariel Sharon accomplished in life is a compliment to how he 
lived it.
   Called ``Bulldozer'' by many, Ariel Sharon paved the way to maintain 
a strong and secure Israel during his time in the military and 
government.
   Sharon is considered one of Israel's most brilliant military 
strategists and finest field commanders. Sharon provided leadership in 
numerous Israeli conflicts, including the 1956 Suez Crisis and the 1973 
Yom-Kippur War.
   After achieving the rank of major general, he chose to serve his 
country in a different arena, politics.
   Ariel Sharon bulldozed his way into political power, with the same 
ferocity used to rout Israel's enemies, by becoming prime minister in 
2001, with what was then, the largest electoral margin in Israel's 
history.
   During his time as prime minister, he led with distinction and 
poise, with the protection of Israel as his guiding light.
   My personal reflection on Ariel Sharon brings to mind a quote from 
General Macarthur's retirement speech before Congress, in which he 
said, ``old soldiers never die; they just fade away.''
   I am confident that this body will remember Ariel Sharon's legacy, 
as well as this country's commitment to Israel's standing in the 
region.

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