Israeli artist Noam Braslavsky, who lives in Germany, has created a lifelike model of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in what he says is a metaphor for political intertia. Others have termed his creation disrespectful.
Sharon was a leading figure in Israeli life until a massive stroke left him comatose in 2006. He served as a commander in four wars, and later went into politics with Likud, serving in several positions and eventually being elected Prime Minister in 2001.
As prime minister, he sent soldiers into PA cities in 2002 in a counterterror operation termed Defensive Shield that dramatically reduced terrorism. He was also responsible for the 2005 Disengagement from Gaza and northern Samaria.
Braslavsky's installation, which is to be displayed in Tel Aviv, shows Sharon lying in a hospital bed and staring blankly into space with an intravenous drip in his arm. The model of Sharon appears to breathe.
The work has offended many, who say Sharon's suffering should not be used for personal benefit. Sharon's friends and former colleagues have called on the public to remember the former prime minister as he was prior to his stroke.
Braslavsky argues that Sharon is "not just a private person," due to his history in politics. He told foreign journalists that he has "a right to bring [Sharon] back to the headlines."
. He was also responsible for the 2005 Disengagement from Gaza and northern Samaria.
