As her only brother was on the brink of death, Yehudit Mendel, who remained distant from her family for many years, telephoned over the past couple of days to inquire about her younger brother, Ariel Sharon’s health. The 80-year-old widow married a doctor who couldn’t find work in Israel and moved with him to Brooklyn. Her enraged mother cut off all ties with her daughter including the family inheritance. Yehudit, known as Dita, talks daily with Gilad, Sharon’s son, but will probably be unable to visit due to her poor health. In Sharon’s biography the author writes that his mother expressed a desire that her two children “would live in understanding, friendship, love, brotherhood, and peace” with each other.