CRI听力:Israel Bids Farewell to Former PM Sharon

A host of dignitaries from Israel and around the world turned out Monday to bid farewell to Ariel Sharon at the Israeli Parliament.

Sharon died Saturday after languishing in a coma for some 8-years.

He was 85.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu eulogized the former Prime Minister as both a great political and military leader.

"Ariel Sharon was one of the greatest military leaders of the people of Israel and the Israel Defense Forces. As minister and Prime Minister he insisted on our right to defend ourselves in this region so that we can live here safely."

Israeli President Shimon Peres says Sharon added an unforgettable chapter to the history of the Jewish nation.

"Arik, you were unique. You turned the seemingly impossible into endless opportunity. You fought off dangers and never delayed decisions. You decided and you were victorious. May you rest in peace, a great leader."

Representatives of some 20 countries attended the event.

US Vice President Joseph Biden says Sharon had a 'north star' that guided him.

"His north star was the survival of the State of Israel and the Jewish people wherever they resided. We'll never know what the ultimate arc of Arik Sharon's life would have been had he been physically able to pursue his stated goal. That will be for historians to speculate and debate. He left us too soon, but the work of trying to reach peace continues."

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the official Envoy of the Quartet on the Middle East, also spoke at the memorial at the Knesset.

"That, from my experience, was Arik Sharon. Tough but shy, indomitable, yet a servant to his people, a warrior to create his country, yet wise enough to know that war alone could not secure its future. He was a giant of this land, born as a union of a great spirit and a big heart. Let him take his place in the history of Israel with pride."

After the memorial service, Sharon's casket was convoyed to his Sycamore Ranch in southern Israel, where a military funeral has been held.

Amid traditional Hebrew prayers from his two sons, the former leader was laid to rest.

Sharon began his political career as a nationalist.

However, his decision to pull Israeli settlements out of the Gaza Strip proved to be one of his most controversial.

But for many ordinary Israelis, Sharon was generally viewed as a nice person who cared about his people.

"He did a lot of real love and care for the people of Israel, for the state of Israel. He was nice to everyone. I met him once. He was so nice. He didn't even know me, but he said a nice 'hello'. Some leaders ignore the citizens, but he didn't. He cared about everyone, and he was just a person that magneted you. He was a very special person, very special. And he was someone that we needed. He was the right man at the right time."

For CRI, I'm Marc Cavigli.