Ralph Kostant on Sharon And The Settlement Withdrawals

The Israeli Prime Minister

In a post several weeks ago Ralph commented on Ariel Sharon and Israeli settlement withdrawal issues. That prompted this comment:

Ralph, how do you explain Ariel’s change of heart vis à vis this withdrawal? I mean, who would have thought, just a year ago, that Ariel Sharon and any grouping with the prefix "liberal" would be on the same side of any issue?

Fancis Ezeu

Ralph, ever generous with good thoughts, responds:

Fancis, I will give you 2 explanations, one charitable to Prime Minister Sharon, and one cynical:

First the charitable view: Sharon believes that the stress of governing a hostile Arab population in Gaza and the Northern Shomron is placing great stress on Israel politically and economically. Politically, it has alienated Europe and even at times put Israel at odds with its only friend in the world, the United States. It has split Israeli society. It is incredibly expensive in money and in blood. Sharon sees no meaningful negotiating partner on the other side, and does not see even the prospect of one appearing for years. Therefore, like a general (and Sharon was a general) who finds that his lines are overextended, he is conducting a tactical withdrawal that he believes will strenghten his defensive lines. He believes that this move will buy him goodwill with Europe (and he is wrong). He believes that it will unite Israeli society. (Wrong again--he is splitting Israel like never before.)

The cynical view: Two left-wing writers have published a book documenting that Sharon conceived of the withdrawal in order to avoid a criminal indictment of him and his son Omri for political corruption charges. In Israel, the courts and the Ministry of Justice, like the media, are controlled by the Labor left. By pushing withdrawal, he is gambling that the left will prefer winning the concessions to the Arabs that they advocate to destroying Sharon. Predictably, this book has relatively received little publicity inside Israel, because the main newspapers, television and radio media are controlled by the Labor left, who are backing Sharon against his own Likud party.