|
|
| By: Associated Press |
| Published: February 26, 2006 |
| |
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon marked his 78th birthday in a coma Sunday, with a stream of advisers, friends and government officials visiting his hospital room and praying he would wake up.
Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who took office after Sharon suffered a massive stroke on Jan. 4, opened Sunday's Cabinet meeting with a birthday wish.
"Today is the birthday of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. We all pray for his health and wish for his speedy recovery," Olmert said.
Sharon's sudden stroke shocked Israelis, suddenly incapacitating the country's most popular politician as he appeared to be cruising toward re-election. But a smooth transition of power and the gravity of his illness have led most people to accept the reality of an Israeli government without the tough ex-general.
Raanan Gissin, a longtime Sharon adviser, said the prime minister is still on the minds of Israelis. He said people constantly stop him on the street to ask when the prime minister will wake up. Israelis are lacking "that feeling of stability that now is no longer in our daily life. We don't have it anymore and we're missing it very much," he said.
The mood at Jerusalem's Hadassah Hospital was somber. A few well-wishers bringing flowers to Sharon, who has undergone seven operations - including three brain surgeries - since the stroke.
"We don't celebrate. We come, we meet with other people who share the same experience and I'd say we just pray that he will wake up," Gissin said.
"Maybe this 78th birthday is a good opportunity to get up and see what's happening and take the necessary steps that we're all wishing for him to take," he added.
Israeli newspapers noted Sharon's birthday, quoting associates as saying it is a "very sad birthday."
Sharon has been unconscious since suffering the stroke. He remains in critical but stable condition. His doctors have said that with each passing day, his chances of recovery are slimmer.
Despite Sharon's absence, the centrist party he founded, Kadima, is expected to win a March 28 election with Olmert at the helm. |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Click on the blue headline to read a Talkback comment and respond to it. Click on the  icon to send a private email to the talkback writer. The icon appears only if the writer has decided to be contacted. If no popup window appears, please make sure your popup blocker allows israelinsider.com.
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
