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                           ISRAEL SHARON, 1st UPD - V

   Israeli President Shimon Peres says former prime minister Ariel Sharon
   "never rested" in working for his country`s people, as Israel honors
   the late leader who died Saturday at the age of 85.
   Mr. Peres said during a state memorial service Monday that Mr. Sharon
   added an "unforgettable chapter" to Israel`s history.
   Current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he did not always agree
   with Mr. Sharon, but he highlighted his predecessor`s commitment to
   Israel`s security.
   U.S. Vice President Joe Biden praised Mr. Sharon`s role as a founding
   leader of Israel whose guiding principle was the survival of the state
   and the Jewish people. Biden also noted the prime minister`s actions
   that "earned him controversy and even consternation."
   "From my observation, he was a complex man, but to understand him
   better I think it`s important, history will judge, he also lived in
   complex times in a very complex neighborhood."
   Peace envoy and former British prime minister Tony Blair also spoke at
   the service, calling Mr. Sharon "unorthodox, unyielding" and a "giant"
   of Israel.
   "He had the toughness of mind to despise all illusions about the
   threats facing Israel, but he had the imagination to know that genuine
   peace, if attainable with honor and dignity both for Arabs and
   Israelis, is the anchor ultimately for Israel`s security."
   Officials from Russia, Germany, Spain, Canada and the Czech Republic
   also attended Monday`s memorial.
   Mr. Sharon served as Israel`s prime minister from 2001 until 2006, when
   he suffered a massive stroke left him in a coma for the rest of his
   life. He is being buried at a private funeral Monday at his ranch in
   the Negev desert in southern Israel.
   U.S. President Barack Obama and other world leaders sent condolence
   messages to Israel and Mr. Sharon`s family. But Palestinians who had
   seen the former minister as a bitter enemy rejoiced at the news of his
   death.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/israel-sharon-1st-upd--v/1828667.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/israel-sharon-1st-upd--v/1828667.html