A warrior's last battle

Israel | Prime Minister Ariel Sharon waged war and abruptly left office while striving for peace | Marvin Olasky

Whether or not Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon lived on after the major stroke he suffered on Jan. 4, Israeli media reported damage so substantial that one of the most remarkable political careers of recent decades would end—and with that, the road to Mideast peace takes a new turn.

Whether keeping vigil outside his Jerusalem hospital or praying at the Wailing Wall, Israelis widely accepted that the major bleeding to Mr. Sharon's brain overnight "effectively ended his political career," said International Christian Embassy Jerusalem spokesman David Parsons. "This comes in the midst of a heated election season for both Israelis and Palestinians and has brought great uncertainty to the country." Mr. Sharon—as one of the last remaining leaders of Israel's founding generation—considered it his legacy to draw the nation's final borders.