Jerusalem – Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a mild stroke Sunday, but his condition quickly improved and his doctor said he was expected to be released from the hospital after a few days. Sharon aides said he was lucid and in control of the government.
Sharon never lost consciousness, said Yuval Weiss, deputy director of Jerusalem’s Hadassah Hospital. The premier was expected to be released after undergoing tests.
“Initial checks showed he had a light stroke, and during checks his condition improved. He was always conscious and didn’t need any surgical intervention,” Weiss said.
Sharon’s personal physician, Bolek Goldman, said the prime minister, who is 77 and extremely overweight, would be hospitalized “for a few days,” although Weiss said Sharon would be discharged “shortly.” Sharon was treated with blood thinners and had no problems with his motor skills, Goldman said.
On the streets of Gaza City, some masked Palestinians from the Popular Resistance Committees militant group fired into the air and handed out pastries to passing motorists in apparent celebration of the Israeli leader’s ill health.
But aides to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas called Sha ron’s office to wish him a speedy recovery.
The stroke was almost certain to make Sharon’s health a major campaign issue before elections in March, but it would have little effect on Israeli policy or peace efforts since no major decisions were expected during the campaign.
The prime minister has been a fixture of Israeli politics for more than three decades. Last month, he broke away from his hard-line Likud Party and formed the centrist Kadima faction to contest March 28 parliamentary elections.
Kadima, which has a commanding lead in the polls, is built around Sharon. If Sharon is incapacitated, Vice Premier Ehud Olmert would take over the day-to-day running of the government.
Sharon grew weak and confused Sunday evening soon after a meeting with former Prime Minister Shimon Peres. Sharon was immediately rushed to the hospital in his official vehicle, all nearby roads were closed and he was brought directly to the emergency room, media reports said.
