My Sharona

It’s been an interesting week in the political life of Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister of Israel. He quit the Likud Party that he founded 30 years ago, called an election and has the confidence to run as a candidate with a whole new party. Sharon’s confidence is as big as his waistline, it appears, as he tries to fend off the opposition under his own resources.

I suspect the death of Yassir Arafat has a lot to do with the decision. Sharon’s chief adversary is dead and now he can rule the country without wasting resources on the Palestinians. Another factor is the strength of his popularity in Israel. Clearly, he wouldn’t have called an election or quit the party if he didn’t think he could win. No leader in a parliamentary democracy ever calls an election unless victory was assured.

Note the name of his new party: the National Responsibility Party. [I wonder if we can start a Canadian version?] Seriously, Sharon has quietly turned the political corner this year. His objectives to finding a peaceful relationship with the Palestinians must be taken at face value. Perhaps he truly does want to be remembered as the great peacemaker in the Middle East. He’s certainly very popular and generally liked by the electorate, but unlike Willy Loman, “is he well liked?” We’ll find out next March.

That’s just my opinion. I could be wrong.