Ariel Sharon, farmer, soldier, robustly conservative political leader, was once the darling of the Jewish settler movement. Holding on to what some called the "historic land of Israel", the territory captured in the 1967 Six-Day War, was a central plank of Mr Sharon's ideology. But times changed and Ariel Sharon ultimately changed with them. His was a political journey that mirrored the destiny of the Jewish state itself.
The graduation ceremony for officers of the Israel Defense Force of Latrun on the main Jerusalem-Tel Aviv Highway. The chief of staff presides in front of an audience of admiring parents and friends. The ranks of khaki-clad young men and women are punctuated by a sprinkling of officers in the white uniforms of Israel's navy.
The old British-built fort of Latrun was the site of a series of dramatic assaults during Israel's War of Independence in 1948. It was garrisoned by professional troops of the Arab Legion. Successive Israeli attacks were beaten back with heavy losses. A footnote to the 1948 battle is that Ariel Sharon then a young section commander, was badly wounded here. His decision to withdraw his small unit probably saved his life.
