The election of Ariel Sharon as prime minister of
Israel has left everyone involved in Middle Eastern
politics wondering what the future will bring - many
fear that his very election will precipitate a war. It
is no wonder that people are not sure what to expect;
Sharon himself is a man who projects conflicting images.
Sharon is portrayed in the press as an "arch hawk"
with a bloody record and a hatred for Arabs. He has
always advocated a strong military defense as the key to
Israel's security. This, in addition to his promise to
maintain Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem and the
Temple Mount, is probably why he was elected by such a
wide margin (62 to 37 percent of the vote). Many
Israelis were troubled by Ehud Barak's proposals to give
up parts of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount and his
inability to stand firm on his ultimatums to Palestinian
terrorist groups. As prime minister, Barak offered more
concessions to the Palestinians than anyone dared
before. He gambled that the Palestinians would see how
much he was offering and gratefully accept his
proposals; however, Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat
would not settle for anything less than the return of
all of the territories taken by the Israelis in the 1967
War, including the entire West Bank and Jerusalem.
According to the Jewish Institute for National
Security Affairs, Sharon now believes that Israel must
step back from the negotiations and move to what he
calls "a non-belligerency accord without specific
deadlines but with mutually agreed expectations." This
would include joint efforts to combat terrorism,
development of joint projects such as large-scale
seawater desalinization, an end to media incitement, and
creation of a whole host of programs that "teach peace
to both sides." Sharon also wants to negotiate the
building of a no-exit throughway between the
Palestinian-controlled areas of the West Bank and Gaza.
This dramatically reduces the amount of territory to be
ceded to the Palestinians (10-12% of the West Bank,
reduced from 97%) than offered under Barak's leadership.
"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper
that love thee" (Psalm 122:6).
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