From A Hawk To A Dove?

The history of the Arab-Israeli conflict is also a history of leaders moving against the grain and playing against character, like Menachim Begin -- the former terrorist who blew up the King David Hotel in the 1940s' war of Israeli independence -- embracing Anwar Sadat. Now, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who led the settlement movement, spearheded the Israeli offensive into Lebanon and, more broadly, epitomized the transformation of Israel from a besiged small democracy to a facist occupying power, has accepted "the Roadmap" to peace. [BBC News.com]. Including an independent Palestinian state.

For years, Ariel Sharon was adamant that there should be no Palestinian state in the occupied territories. But late in 2001, he quietly announced that he could see some sort of Palestinian state in the future. Now Sharon has persuaded his cabinet to endorse -- with reservations -- a Roadmap which aims to create a viable Palestinian state by the end of 2005. And he indicated a willingness to withdraw from the West Bank and Gaza, amazingly describing Israel's military presence in the Palestinian territories as an "occupation."

Leopards can change their spots from time to time politically. See Straight Talk From Ariel Sharon [NYTimes.com]. Whether Sharon has really done so, or whether this is just another ploy to buy time and save face internationally, remains to be seen.

 Posted by glenn