(FILES) -- File pictured taken 04 Januar

JERUSALEM, -: (FILES) -- File pictured taken 04 January 2006 shows Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon at a ceremony completing the sale of Bank Leumi to a private US investment group at his office in Jerusalem. Israel marks 02 July 2006 six months since prime minister Ariel Sharon suffered a massive stroke, his towering legacy still keenly felt as the new government grapples with the worst Middle East crisis in months.His career abruptly cut short by a brain haemorrhage on January 4, Sharon's policies are still a force to be reckoned with, leaving many Israelis wondering whether their national security would be safer if he was in office today. AFP PHOTO/POOL/ELIANA APONTE (Photo credit should read ELIANA APONTE/AFP via Getty Images)