Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon shakes hands with former U.S. President George W. Bush at the White House in 2004. Photo: White House

JNS.org – Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s health has taken a turn for the worse, doctors at the Sheba Hospital in Tel Hashomer said on Wednesday.

Sharon, 85, was Israeli prime minister from 2001 until his suffered a second stroke in 2006 that left him in a permanent coma.

A source with knowledge of Sharon’s condition says it is only a “matter of days” if his health continues to worsen, Haaretz reported.

Sharon had a storied career in the Israeli military and later served as defense minister and foreign minister. His term as prime minister was noted for his response to the Second Intifada and for leading the unilateral Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005.