Admired by some and reviled by others, former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon bears a complicated legacy. Sharon, 85, died Saturday after spending eight years in a coma brought on by a massive stroke in 2006. A controversial figure in Middle East politics, Sharon earned several nicknames among Israelis and Palestinians during his decades-long military and political career. Two of them, in particular, highlighted just how polarizing Sharon could be.

 

"The Bulldozer"

Many on the world stage simply called Sharon "The Bulldozer," at first because in the military he was seen as headstrong and insubordinate. Later in life, the nickname also began to reference Sharon’s girth — 5 feet, 6 inches tall and 230 pounds — and his autocratic political style.

 

Sharon adopted the cause of settlement building in the 1990s and pushed for a huge wave of development in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It was the most frenetic time for settlement building since Israel took over the territories in 1967.  [Link]