Following Ariel Sharon's death on January 11, 2014 I have several thoughts
It is easy to paint Sharon as a demon but its harder to place him in context.
Sharon's brutality when in the military was in the context of brutal sectarian and interstate conflict in the Middle East.
A judgement about Sharon is often tied to a judgement of Israel.
Extremists of the right and left are often unintenionally united in their anti-Semitism. They therefore condemn Sharon in life and death.