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Many people in Israel and elsewhere may not appreciate this man. But former Knesset member Shmuel (Sammy) Plato Sharon may be Israel’s true patriot. Sharon, whose family arrived in southern France after fleeing Nazi occupied Poland during WWII, has certainly a most colorful history, and also a very controversial one at that. He is mainly remembered for literally buying his way into the Knesset in 1977, and afterwards serving time in a French prison for a “misunderstanding” involving a fraudulent jewelry deal in France in which many people lost a lot of money. Sharon is now known as that gravelly-voiced old man who is frequently seen on television or heard on FM radio morning talk shows.

I chanced on one of these talk shows today in which Sharon was talking to some controversial people, including a representative of the Peace Now movement and an Arab Knesset parliamentarian (names withheld). Sharon really put both of these gentlemen in the hot box as he asked them why they supported people such as former Knesset member Azmi Bishara, who Sharon called a traitor and who should be imprisoned for spying against Israel. Sharon especially grilled his Arab List Knesset member guest by asking him why he, as a member of Israel’s parliament, is against Israel being a Jewish State. Sharon is known as a man who is not afraid to speak his mind, and he did so on this program in which he also accused his Peace Now guest as being in favor reaching a peace agreement with Syria, even if that “agreement” means giving up most or all of the Golan Heights.

“How can you be in favor of a country that is an enemy?” Sharon told his Peace Now guest. Sharon went on to remind his interviewee that Syria is suspected of supplying both the Hezbollah and numerous terror organizations with weapons, explosions and other material that is used against Israel. Though his guest reminded Sharon that Syria has been invited to send a delegation to the upcoming Annapolis conference, Sharon replied that this won’t make any difference as Syria “does pipi on Israel every chance it gets”.

Due to his experience as a child during WWII, and seeing the increase in anti-
Semitism against Jews in France, much of it by Islamic terror groups, Sharon has become very patriotic in his later years. He doesn’t miss a chance to appear before the general public to express his rather taut views on what is happening today regarding Israel’s future. Sharon has made many friends in his adopted country, which he now calls his “true homeland”. He believes that Israel’s “hasbara” PR campaign leaves much to be desired; and that as a result, Israel’s political leaders are being conceived as “a bunch of idiots”. “We have a lot to do to clean up our public relations image, and that’s why I am appearing so much on the media as somebody has to help do this” he was recently quoted as saying.

Whatever can be said about Sammy Plato-Sharon, it not that he keeps quiet about what the feels is wrong and needs to be corrected in Israel. This also goes for the still in progress teachers strike, which Sharon calls a “real pity” as it plays with the future of the country. “Prime Minister Olmert is not doing enough to end this crises, which has been going on for over a month now” Sharon commented on today’s program.

Maybe Sammy should get involved in finding a solution to the strike, as nothing else has appeared to work so far. If he can moderate and solve this crises he will really be a true Israeli patriot.