Ariel Sharon death: reaction from around the world

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/11/ariel-sharon-tributes

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"On behalf of the American people, Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to the family of former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon and to the people of Israel on the loss of a leader who dedicated his life to the state of Israel … We join with the Israeli people in honouring his commitment to his country." – <strong>Barack Obama </strong>

"I will never forget meeting with this big bear of a man when he became prime minister as he sought to bend the course of history toward peace, even as it meant testing the patience of his own longtime supporters and the limits of his own, lifelong convictions in the process. He was prepared to make tough decisions because he knew that his responsibility to his people was both to ensure their security and to give every chance to the hope that they could live in peace." – <strong>John Kerry</strong>

"He wanted to erase the Palestinian people from the map … He wanted to kill us, but at the end of the day, Sharon is dead and the Palestinian people are alive." – <strong>Tawfik Tirawi</strong>, Palestinian intelligence chief when Sharon was prime minister

"After eight years, he is going in the same direction as other tyrants and criminals whose hands were covered with Palestinian blood." – <strong>Khalil al-Haya</strong>, a leader in the Islamic militant group Hamas

"Ariel Sharon is one of the most significant figures in Israeli history and as prime minister he took brave and controversial decisions in pursuit of peace, before he was so tragically incapacitated. Israel has today lost an important leader." – <strong>David Cameron</strong>

"Sharon will be remembered for his political courage and determination to carry through with the painful and historic decision to withdraw Israeli settlers and troops from the Gaza Strip. His successor faces the difficult challenge of realising the aspirations of peace between the Israeli and Palestinian people." – spokesperson for <strong>Ban Ki-moon</strong>

Vladimir Putin "highly praised Ariel Sharon's personal qualities and his activities to protect Israel's interests, noting a high respect for him among compatriots and his high authority in the international arena." – <strong>The Kremlin</strong>

"With his courageous decision to withdraw the Israeli settlers from the Gaza Strip, he took a historic step on the path to a deal with the Palestinians and a two-state solution." – spokesman for <strong>Angela Merkel</strong>

"His passing is another grim reminder that years of virtual impunity for rights abuses have done nothing to bring Israeli-Palestinian peace any closer." – <strong>Sarah Leah Whitson</strong>, Middle East director, Human Rights Watch

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