<...Sharon deliberately picked this fight with the Palestinians, and was elected by the Israeli public.

You're having a bit of trouble with your chronology. Sharon didn't start this fight, but he might finish it.

Sharon went to visit a holy site in September of 2000 that rubbed the Palestinians the wrong way. The immediate Palestinian response was to start a new intifada at Arafat's specific order, and begin murdering Israeli civilians. Barak resigned and Sharon was elected directly due to the annihilation of dozens of Jewish civilians in suicide bombings.

If the stupid Palestinian dipshits had simply ignored Sharon committing the hideous crime of walking someplace they didn't like, Sharon would be playing solitaire somewhere right now and watching cable TV, the Israeli tanks would be parked on military bases, Barak would still be in charge, and a hell of a lot of people would still be alive who are dead now.

To try and make it look like Sharon started this by himself is just plain dumb. It takes two to tango.