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| By: Associated Press |
| Published: January 5, 2006 |
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Prime Minister Ariel Sharon fought for his life Thursday following seven hours of emergency surgery to stop widespread bleeding in his brain. The massive stroke made it unlikely that he would return to power, and plunged the region into uncertainty.
Sharon's sudden turn for the worse, at the height of his popularity, stunned Israelis, who had relied on the tough ex-general to steer them through turbulent times. Rabbis called Israelis to flock to synagogues and say special prayers for the 77-year-old Sharon. "The last battle," read the headline in the Yediot Ahronot daily.
Officials at Hadassah Hospital said Sharon would remain in deep sedation in the intensive care unit for at least 24 more hours, following seven hours of emergency surgery to stop massive, wide-spread bleeding in the brain.
"The situation is still serious, but it's stable," said hospital director Shlomo Mor-Yosef said.
Vice Premier Ehud Olmert was named acting prime minister and given a beefed-up security detail. He met with key members of Sharon's staff early Thursday and convened the Cabinet for a special session at 9 a.m. (0700 GMT). Close Sharon associates said they did not expect the prime minister to return to office.
"This is a difficult situation that we are not accustomed to," Olmert told the somber ministers. Sharon's chair at the center of the long oval table remained empty.
Sharon's stroke threw Israeli politics and diplomacy throughout the region into turmoil in the midst of election campaigns for both the Palestinians and Israel. The premier had been expected to easily win re-election in March at the head of the moderate Kadima Party he created to free his hands for further peace moves with the Palestinians. |
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