Doctors caring for Ariel Sharon, the 85-year-old former general and prime minister of Israel who has been in a vegetative state since suffering a brain hemorrhage in 2006, say the leader is nearing death as his organs fail. UCLA experts can discuss Sharon's military and political legacy, as well as his physical condition.
 
SHARON'S LIFE & LEGACY
 
David N. Myers, professor of history and director of the UCLA Center for Jewish Studies, is an expert on the history of Zionism, Israel and Jewish–Arab relations. He is the author of numerous books, including "Between Jew and Arab: The Lost Voice of Simon Rawidowicz."
Media contact:
Meg Sullivan | 310-825-1046 |msullivan@support.ucla.edu
  
Arieh Saposnik, associate professor of Near Eastern languages and cultures and director of the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for Israel Studies at UCLA, studies the history of Zionism, Israel and the Middle East.
Media contact:
Alison Hewitt | 310-206-5461 | ahewitt@support.ucla.edu
 
Gabriel Piterberg, professor of history, is an authority on Zionism, colonialism and the history of Israeli–Palestinian relations. He is the author of "The Returns of Zionism: Myths, Politics and Scholarship in Israel."
Media contact:
Meg Sullivan | 310-825-1046 | msullivan@support.ucla.edu
 
Saree Makdisi, professor of English and comparative literature, has written extensively on Palestinian history and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. He is the author of "Palestine Inside Out: An Everyday Occupation."
Media contact:
Meg Sullivan | 310-825-1046 | msullivan@support.ucla.edu
 
Steven Spiegel, director of UCLA's Center for Middle East Development, is a leading expert on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.
Media contacts:
Meg Sullivan | 310-825-1046 | msullivan@support.ucla.edu
 
Neil Netanel is a professor of law and interim director of the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for Israel Studies at UCLA. He practiced law in Israel for seven years and teaches frequently at Israeli universities.
Media contact:
Alison Hewitt | 310-206-5461 |ahewitt@support.ucla.edu
 
SHARON'S BRAIN STATE
 
Martin Monti, an assistant professor of psychology and neurosurgery, was part of a team of American and Israeli brain scientists who used sophisticated brain-scanning methods on former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in January 2013 to assess his brain responses; they found subtle signs of consciousness.
Media contact:
Stuart Wolpert | 310-206-0511 | swolpert@support.ucla.edu