What will he choose? Ariel Sharon
Photo: Reuters
The least worst option
Sharon has a number of choices ahead of him, but luck will probably see him through no matter what he does
“It’s amazing,” said one senior minister, “how much they hate Sharon in the Likud.”
The truth is that all eyes are fixed ahead, to the next moves. First on the agenda is the Likud Committee meeting, where Sharon’s people believe that the prime minister will successfully prevent Benjamin Netanyahu’s attempt to take power.
Feud
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The really important decision that Sharon must take is to choose between fighting to the end against Bibi and Uzi Landau, and to perhaps lose to one of them, or to trump all the cards and try and find a new way, by forming a one-time, one-use party, which will leave him standing on the political merry go round.
Another option, which should not be ruled out, is that Sharon will choose to lose in the Likud, and then present the party as a delusional right wing party, firmly in the grip of the Yesha council and right wing extremists like Landau.
“It won’t happen,” said one of Sharon’s aides recently. “We’ll leave you (Likud) to Bibi, you can choke together with him.”
In any case, the Likud is behaving increasingly strangely. Some say it is even acting like a suicidal party. It seems willing to throw itself out of power.
Waiting for results
The prime minister really did not want to enter a situation in which the Likud Committee will meet, before Sharon and his aids apply each and every principle of the “Israeli encyclopedia of political maneuvers.”
Whichever way he chooses, Sharon can take the biggest step of his life, or make the largest error of his career.
Another question that must be asked is, what does the prime minister have to offer, now that the disengagement is over? We received the pullout, thanks. We are waiting for the results.
The capitalist economic market which he supported, that hurt tends of thousands of people, has also been duly noted.
Does someone really know what Ariel Sharon’s real stances are? Where does he want to take the country now? He has sat on the prime minister’s chair for four years, and no one really knew that he was planning the disengagement.
In power for four years, Sharon did not lift a finger, until his back was against the wall.
Every question was answered through a targeted assassination, or another military operation in the territories.
These questions may seem irrelevant now, but they will appear as the campaign heats up.
Despite all this, Sharon does have a lot of luck.
On his right is Netanyahu, and on his left is the Labor party.
When the Israeli public has to choose between these, it may well be that it will choose, again, the least worst option.
