the minor premiss
Reader comment on item: Further on Israel's Winning Its War

Submitted by john w mcginley (United States), Apr 7, 2006 at 16:54

You may be right. We will never know, now, how the evacuation of the Gaza and its aftermath would play itself out under the continued leadership of Sharon. Then and now I believed and believe that with Sharon at the helm the strategy would have worked, and have worked wondrously. And the fact of the matter is that the maintainence of the Settler presence in the Gaza was siphoning off resources which, even now, are better used elsewhere. Sharon would never have let the Palestinians think that the tide was turning. They may have had some initial upsurge in that direction. But over time the Sharon type of progress in dispiriting the enemy would have returned and you would have had occasion by now to have noted in your articles the progress towards breaking the Palestinian hope that Israel will somehow be defeated.

I do not have complete trust that Olmert will be as steadfast as Sharon. I hope and pray that he will. Still, the Gaza evacuation was the right move at the right time. Unless the Kadima leadership walks away from the principles set down by Sharon, the Gaza decision will be vindicated. If not, then the conclusion to be drawn is that heparin turned out to be a bigger player in the struggle than anyone could have imagined.

My position is not the opposite of yours. You have made a good case for what you say. For, if Olmert is not equal to the task of succeeding Sharon it will take several years before Israel will get back to the status quo ante you have referred to.
John W. McGinley

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