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Mix-Ansicht- Ailing Sharon sees support eroding fast - dira, 05.03.2002, 08:47
Ailing Sharon sees support eroding fast
Ailing Sharon sees support eroding fast
Analysis by Richard Beeston
ARIEL SHARON was fighting more than just a military campaign yesterday against Palestinian gunmen, who inflicted terrible casualties on Israeli troops and civilians over the weekend.
For the first time since he came to office a year ago, the Israeli Prime Minister was also battling for political survival, as his public support collapsed and he struggled to bridge growing splits within his polarised coalition Government.
Mr Sharon provokes extreme reactions from his countrymen, who admire and loathe him in equal measure. But on one point most Israelis, until recently at least, could agree: the former general is seen as a good man in a crisis, who is not afraid to use Israel’s considerable military force to protect the Jewish State.
While abroad he may be remembered for his disastrous invasion of Lebanon in 1982, in Israel many recall his exploits as a young paratroop officer who led a ruthless unit that operated against Palestinians in the 1950s. He was also credited with saving Israel during the 1973 Yom Kippur War through his tactical genius in the Sinai campaign.
Above all, when he came to power a year ago, he made clear that he would not follow Ehud Barak, his predecessor, in chasing a peace agreement with the Palestinians until the country’s security was fully restored.
Twelve months on that pledge is in tatters. The conflict has deteriorated rapidly since Mr Sharon came to power and now hardly a week goes by without Israel suffering fresh casualties from an opponent growing ever more daring and deadly.
This weekend, 21 Israelis were killed in a bloody 24 hours. The response from the Israeli Right was to call for the removal of Yassir Arafat, the Palestinian leader, and the destruction of his Palestinian Authority, the skeletal, barely functioning administration that has taken the brunt of Israeli retaliatory raids.
Danny Naveh, a minister in the ruling Likud Party, spoke for many when he urged Mr Sharon to use “more force and more force — as much force as we have”. Others would like to see the Israeli Army disarm the thousands of Palestinian gunmen. Extremists advocate the forced removal of Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza.
On the Left, however, there is a growing sense that peace and security can be achieved only through dialogue. As Ephraim Sneh, a former general and now the Transport Minister, said: “In the end there has to be a diplomatic solution. Without one, this land will know another 100 years of war.”
Amid the strongly conflicting advice within his national unity Government, Mr Sharon has opted to do very little. He has advocated building a costly buffer zone to keep Palestinians out of Jerusalem, but the plan is probably unworkable and, in any event, most of the fighting now seems to be targeted at Jewish settlers and Israeli troops in the occupied territories.
Meanwhile his popularity has plunged to less than 50 per cent for the first time, as the casualty toll rises and Israel’s once-buoyant economy slides deeper into recession. Sensing his vulnerability, his rivals within the party are planning to challenge his leadership.
Mr Sharon’s options are unenviable. He could try a bold military action, but his troops are demoralised and growing numbers are refusing to serve in the occupied territories. So far heavy-handed tactics have failed to intimidate the Palestinians and instead have provoked worse attacks.
Today Mr Sharon looks like a tired heavyweight fighter past his prime and waiting for the towel to be thrown into the ring.
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