( CNN ) -- Ariel Sharon , the former Israeli prime minister who died Saturday at age 85 , made a name for himself as a military and political leader who put Israel 's security above all else . It was a position that earned the controversial figure the nickname `` the bulldozer '' as a fearless leader who got things done . To many Israelis , he was a hero . To some in the Arab world , he was a killer . Here are five things to know about Sharon : . 1 . Some saw him as a war hero : . Sharon , who rose through the ranks of the Israeli Defense Forces , first gained hero status among Israelis during the 1967 Six Day War that saw Israel attack Egypt , Jordan and Syria to counter what they saw as an impending attack by the Arab nations . Under Sharon 's command , Israeli troops routed Egyptian forces during a nighttime battle to capture Um Cataf , a crucial crossroads in the Sinai . That victory is considered a major factor in Egypt 's loss of the Sinai to Israel . During the 1973 Yom Kippur War , Sharon earned the nickname `` The Lion of God '' among Israelis for surrounding Egypt 's Third Army and , defying orders , leading 200 tanks and 5,000 men across the Suez Canal -- roughly 100 miles from Cairo . Israelis mourned the death of Ariel Sharon . 2 . Others accused him of war crimes . During the Lebanon war in 1982 , Sharon -- a former army general then serving as Israeli defense minister -- was held indirectly responsible by an Israeli inquiry in the 1983 massacre of Palestinians by a Lebanese Christian military at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps . The inquiry -- which led to Sharon 's prompt resignation -- found he did nothing to stop Christian militiamen allied with Israel from entering the camps , despite fears they might seek to avenge the killing of their leader the previous day . Many in the Arab world dubbed Sharon `` the Butcher of Beirut , '' and Palestinians attempted to bring war crimes charges against him in European courts . 3 . He made a provocative visit to an important mosque . Sharon long insisted that a controversial visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem , one of Islam 's most holy sites , in 2000 was not a provocation . But it is considered among many to be one of the flashpoints that sparked the Second Intifada , a Palestinian uprising that followed a failed round of peace talks with Israelis . During the visit , Sharon walked through the mosque 's compound . Within hours , protests over his visit turned violent . The mosque and its compound sits on Temple Mount , a holy site for Jews , that is known to Muslims as Haram al Sharif , `` The Noble Sanctuary . '' At the time , according to published reports , Sharon said his visit was intended as a message of peace . But critics have said Sharon , already considered a possible contender for Israeli prime minister , knew the visit to Al-Aqsa would spark violence . Ariel Sharon : A life on front lines of war and politics . 4 . He removed settlers from parts of the West Bank and Gaza late in his career : . Sharon , who early in his political career promoted the establishment of settlements on occupied land , appeared to do an about face in 2005 when he ordered the Israeli withdrawal from 25 settlements in the West Bank and Gaza . Under Sharon 's order , the military dragged settlers from their homes . The move was part of Sharon 's plan to pull Israeli troops from Gaza , ending nearly four decades of control . While considered an essential move for peace talks , Sharon 's right-wing Likud Party was outraged . It lead Sharon to break with his party and form a new one -- Kadima , Hebrew for `` Forward . '' 5 . He suffered strokes , spent years in a coma . Sharon was serving as a prime minister when suffered a small stroke in December 2005 . That was followed by a massive stroke in January 2006 that left him on a respirator and in a comatose state . Immediately after he fell ill , his power was transferred to Vice Premier Ehud Olmert . In April 2006 , Israel 's cabinet formally ended his term as prime minister after declaring him permanently incapacitated . The former prime minister 's health fluctuated during the time he was in a coma . In January 2013 , doctors said testing on Sharon indicated some brain activity when he was shown photos of his home and heard his son 's voice . CNN 's Alan Duke and Greg Botelho contributed to this report .
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is dead at home . Sharon had been in coma for past two years after suffering massive injuries . Israel saw him as a hero , but many in Arab world see him as a villain .