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Sharon is fading away

Reader comment on item: Reading Sharon's Mind

Submitted by john mcginley (United States), Dec 23, 2003 at 12:41

Sharon is old and getting tired. He knows his days as Prime Minister, if not, indeed, his days absoltely, are numbered. He's guessing that Labor will be smart enough to nominate a centrist as candidate for PM. such a person might win and pretty soon Israel would backslide to the mentality it had before Sept. of 2001. Thus Sharon understands that it is now or never for some sort of final arrangement, whether negotiated or not. He is a realist. He has always acknowledged the need to make "painful" decisions concerning the settlements. He is doing such now. The balancing act he must engage in given Israel's dependency on the United States is enough to give one vertigo. But he seems to be holding a steady course with his eye on the prize: some sort of final arrangment, nogotiated or not, before he retires. If he pulls it off he will go down in history as a statesman at least the equal to Ben Gurion (who, you will recall, had a few serious warts of his own). The blindness of most Jews living today will keep the following from being acknolwedged for a about fifty years. but History will Judge sharon's walk on the Temple Mount as the dramatic catylyst which saved the Modern State of Israel. Withou that brave and calculated "stroll" Israel would have, by default, inaugurated a slow but sure slide into oblivion. The analogy is not perfect, but if Ben Gurion is Israel's Washington, Sharon is Isreal's Lincoln. Shalom!
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Reader comments (49) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Sharon means what he says [146 words]Atle VereJan 1, 2004 23:0013043
Israeli Doves [92 words]Tim HunterDec 30, 2003 15:1813006
two face Sharon [135 words]yuval brandstetterDec 29, 2003 04:2512979
remember to think on the left [12 words]Octavio JohansonDec 28, 2003 09:4712966
unilateral disengagement [211 words]Donald RothDec 28, 2003 00:0012962
Sharon's Disengagement Plan-Pragmatism or Retreat? [415 words]Lisette MuradDec 27, 2003 16:2812957
Try it then crush them [63 words]GaryDec 27, 2003 12:1512951
I think it is a good idea. [251 words]GeorgeDec 27, 2003 09:3412949
Sharon Speech [45 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Henry SaltzmanDec 26, 2003 10:3412930
Is Terrorism Winning? [135 words]Roslyn FranklDec 25, 2003 13:5812916
SHARON's plan [148 words]batya daganDec 25, 2003 12:0212913
Are Mr Sharon's political moves free from Israeli/left pressure? [231 words]Esther ElbazDec 24, 2003 23:3312902
A test of Muslim intentions [51 words]John BergDec 24, 2003 21:4712898
Reading Sharon's Mind [129 words]PROF. Richard MILLMANDec 24, 2003 11:5512856
You leave out a lot. [169 words]William KinneyDec 24, 2003 07:2412822
Reading Sharon's Mind [118 words]Stanley ThowDec 24, 2003 06:1712819
Believe Sharon's precise words but not more [160 words]Melvin A. FechterDec 23, 2003 22:2612815
I disagree (with respect) [164 words]Marc BaronDec 23, 2003 22:1612814
I Hope You're Right! [78 words]AvrahamDec 23, 2003 21:5312813
Stopping the Intifada is not enough [126 words]Michael ElvinDec 23, 2003 20:2112811
much damage already done irrespective of what Sharon will do [181 words]Prof. E. B. AyalDec 23, 2003 18:1212810
Israel & Sharon's dilemma [260 words]Muriel EfronDec 23, 2003 17:5812809
Final Resting Place of the ROAD MAP [150 words]Peter St. JeanDec 23, 2003 17:4012808
Ariel Sharom and Ehud Olmert [98 words]Yehuda ShermanDec 23, 2003 17:2612807
OF BERLIN WALLS [92 words]JOHN WOLLAKDec 23, 2003 16:4912806
Real Ultimatum [321 words]Chana GivonDec 23, 2003 14:5512803
you're are correct, sir [147 words]David BrotskyDec 23, 2003 14:3212802
Terrorist organizations [44 words]eliot I sakolsDec 23, 2003 13:4312801
A Third Possibility [98 words]Tom AndrewsDec 23, 2003 13:4112800
Reading Sharon's Mind [379 words]Lisa MichelsonDec 23, 2003 13:0612798
Forced [202 words]Hannah RutmanDec 23, 2003 12:4612797
Sharon is fading away [253 words]john mcginleyDec 23, 2003 12:4112796
Reading Mr. Sharon's mind [53 words]Cindy ConnerDec 23, 2003 12:3112795
Not so confident of Sharon [213 words]Bob SteinbergerDec 23, 2003 12:0812794
I am not as puzzled [185 words]Richard McMahonDec 23, 2003 11:3112791
Sharon's defensible Line [151 words]harry abramsDec 23, 2003 11:2512790
Caving into pressure [22 words]Gamaliel IsaacDec 23, 2003 11:2412789
A very different take [281 words]Philip JacksonDec 23, 2003 11:2112788
Ambivalence [209 words]Martin SchneerDec 23, 2003 11:0812787
Mad as heck and I'm not going to take it any more! [171 words]GRAHAM RAEL-BROOKDec 23, 2003 10:5712786
Sharon is a Stateman [132 words]Arlinda DeAngelisDec 23, 2003 10:5212785
Arafat's Security Wall [252 words]Don SaarDec 23, 2003 10:1812784
To the contrary [1025 words]Terd BelmanDec 23, 2003 10:1812783
I'm confused [37 words]Steve BalogDec 23, 2003 10:0412782
Don't really agree with this [303 words]Vijay LadDec 23, 2003 08:3212780
At a loss [50 words]Tirza Preis TanzmanDec 23, 2003 08:2112779
The Sharon seperation plan [61 words]Ken BesigDec 23, 2003 08:2012778
Stalemate in the Middle East [86 words]Tom JonesDec 23, 2003 08:1112777
The Peace to End All Peace [430 words]Ben GitlowDec 23, 2003 08:0912776

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