Disengaging and all that
Even as an Israeli abroad, it's not easy to escape the Gaza issue nowadays. Hardly a day goes by without someone asking me - as if I knew the guy - what Sharon's real reasons are for quitting Gaza.
Of course, nobody knows the answer except good old Arik himself. But it is an interesting question; and those who want to know more should read the following article, which I stumbled across in Ha'aretz today.
Aluf Benn: Metamorphosis of Ariel Sharon
Don't let the title mislead you, this is not a romantic description of how Sharon went from bad bulldozer to good bulldozer. Aluf Benn's piece, better than any other article I've read about the disengagement (and I've read quite few), offers an intriguing summary of the unexpected dynamic that led to Sharon's decision - and its implementation.
The Gaza disengagement is not only the defining moment of Sharon's premiership, it is the conclusion of a chapter in Middle Eastern history that lasted nearly five years (a chapter which Benn summarizes neatly in his article). Whether the next chapter will be marked by less or more violence is anybody's guess. As they say, only a fool makes predictions about the Middle East.
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Update: With wireless internet, you can start your weekend by reading the newspaper in bed, and you don't even have to get up. Read:
Disengagement Magazine: Haaretz's top writers and commentators put the disengagement in perspective
1 comment:
An interesting link indeed, accompanied by a whole new meaning of the concept of couch potato in your update ... ;-)
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