Sharon's Legacy

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s stroke of last week has knocked him from the political stage. At this point it is hard to envision any scenario in which he could return to his post. As a result a great deal of uncertainty now looms over Israel and the Middle East peace process. Sharon’s tenure as prime minister supplied the steady leadership and much of the impetus responsible for fostering long-awaited progress in the peace process.

As a benefit of Prime Minister Sharon’s stewardship Israel has not duplicated the mistakes of Oslo. Instead of empowering tyranny and continuously strengthening Yasser Arafat, Israel shunned the late chairman, leaving him marginalized and isolated in his final years.

Moreover, the security wall being built, despite the demurrals of the Palestinians and much of the international community, has largely kept Palestinian suicide bombers off of Israeli streets. Because of his fortitude, and along with his willingness to target terrorist leaders for assassination, terror is no longer a viable political tool for the Palestinian Authority.

As Charles Krauthammer pointed out in his column of last week, Prime Minister Sharon provided a third way in Israeli politics. He did not futilely attempt to make peace with a PLO uninterested in peace; but neither did he try to rule and govern a "young, radicalized, growing Arab population committed to Palestinian independence." Instead, Prime Minister Sharon has withdrawn behind an Israel with a newly designed border defined by the security fence. The result has been a "smaller but secure and demographically Jewish Israel."

Prime Minister Sharon’s departure from the political stage however jeopardizes this progress and the prospect of continued progress in the future. Sharon is probably the only leader within Israel with the clout and credibility to lead Israel along this third way. No such leader resides within Israel’s two major political parties, right wing Likud and left wing Labor. It is unclear whether one resides within Sharon’s newly crafted Kadima party. Hopefully one does—the prospect of peace and security in the Middle East may depend on it.