Sharon Unprecedented Win A Revival of David Ben Gurion's Heritage?
by Gad Nahshon
In the 'Yom Kippur' war when Israel's leadership and its military elite were panicking, Arik Sharon, a charismatic general and leader, found the military leverage by which he saved Israel. The country almost collapsed. He saved Israel.
Israel recently was pushed to the brink of a political-national abyss. Israel's lost its basic national consensus. Israel lost its security-defense consensus. Israeli society was entangled in many socio-ethnic confrontations. Its political establishment was on the brink of political anarchy. The masses, probably, developed feelings of hate toward the various politicians in the Knesset. Israel also managed a defeatist kind of policy toward its enemies and toward the P.L.O. Israel indeed was humiliated by the P.L.O. The P.L.O sent Israel's Prime Minister to hell but he, in the name of peace, rushed to discuss issues with the 'peace mongers' who were only smart sophisticated murderers. They have been motivated by deep hate rather than by a deep wish to bring peace to the Middle-East.
It is not surprising to find out that Arik Sharon, the leader of the Likud, a charismatic leader, achieved an unprecedented victory; or a landslide victory of 62.3% or 1.678 million votes compared to Ehud Barak's 37.7% or 1.023 million votes. It is a 25% victory! Many predicted that Sharon's margin will be 20%. Some experts claimed that this two-third victory is a result of a low turnover in this election. But even if the average participation in elections will be counted, Sharon would have been again, the winner: 60% participated in the election. The Israeli average is around 78%. We know that the Israeli Arabs did not vote. But they could not save Barak. Also, we have to remember that it was not a general election in Israel in which the parties bring to the election even sick people from hospitals in their ambulances.
Sharon's victory is, first of all, a national protest against the P.L.O.'s non-stop terrorism. The P.L.O. declared a war on every Israeli man, woman and it targeted children, as well. Sharon's victory means to stop the murder of Israeli citizens. Sharon declared: "No peace, no negotiations without full personal safety of each Israeli citizen." Sharon's victory means also the quest for a healer, a leader who can dismantle the social internal conflicts in Israel. He had a victory in the cities, in cities such as Ramat Hasharon with its Askenazi well-to-do residents who usually vote left of the center. He had a victory in cities such as Opakim in the south with its non-Askenazi working class residents. He had a victory in cities with ultra-orthodox residents such as Jerusalem. And he had a great success in the army: 80,000 compared to Barak's 46,000 votes.
Indeed, Arik Sharon's victory means the coming of a new national social unity! Experts in Israel wrote that this victory demonstrated the mistakes of those sociologists who argue that Israel suffers from too many socio-economic divisions. Perhaps Sharon's victory means the quest of the masses to let an old 'sabra' father figure, a member of the Israeli 'founding fathers' elite, save Israel again. And Sharon reads this message. He understands that the Israeli society must be united again. A strong society gives birth to a strong motivation for survival. The enemies of Israel used its internal problems to promote their goals of destroying Israel by all means. Their level of expectations has climaxed. They managed to divide Israel into the 'peace camp' and the 'national camp.'
Sharon will have to find the formula to unite the country. To heal the society, to develop new security-defense-military concept. To dismantle the 'defeatist concept' which was born after the Yom Kippur War. He must bring a balance of common sense. Therefore, it is not surprising that he would like to establish a national unity government. He must build a strong coalition in order to establish an effective executive branch.
Let's hope that the Israeli parties will help Sharon to fulfill these goals. Let's hope that they will, for a change, mobilize themselves for Israel's survival rather than for their own egotistic survival. Israel can not lose its national power. Israel must unite in order to defend itself against its enemies and against external international pressures.
We hope that the international community, the U.N., the U.S. and the media will stop to refer to Sharon as a 'war monger' or as a 'butcher.' They should give him a chance. Today, he is being supported by 2/3 of the Israeli population. He achieved a legitimacy. He has a mandate to rule as a Prime Minister. He has a mandate to save Israel from its abyss.
According to 'Media Watch International,' Sharon's ideas and concepts can be found in the following:
What Will Sharon's Policy Be On Jerusalem?
The election results show that the Israeli public seeks to protect the unity and sanctity of Jerusalem and its holy sites under Israeli sovereignty.
The new Government will continue the long-standing Israeli policy of protecting the rights of all religions to conduct their religious practices and administer their religious sites - as long as they do not impinge or deny the rights of other religions.
The Temple Mount, the core of the Jewish People's spiritual being, will remain under Israel's full sovereignty. The status quo arrangements relating to the administration of the site will be restored and maintained.
United Jerusalem is and always will be the capital of Israel. Foreign governments will be encouraged to relocate their embassies to Israel's capital.
How Will Sharon Meet the Current Security Problem?
Israel will not negotiate while under fire.
The Government of Israel and its leaders will vigorously shake the hand of peace when the Palestinian leadership agrees to a termination of the conflict, an end to terror and incitement, and true reconciliation.
The Government of Israel will protect its citizens everywhere from acts of terrorism.
The conduct of an anti-terrorism campaign will be based on:
Lessons learned in combating terrorism in Gaza.
Strict separation between the combat against the terrorists and the treatment of the local population.
Permitting the local population to lead a normal life in their travel, access to the work place, and commerce.
Minimizing the friction at roadblocks and checkpoints.
Terrorists will be forced to defend themselves wherever they are, rather than carry out their attacks freely with impunity.
A Palestinian state or entity never existed on the "West Bank."
Jordan's sovereignty over "West Bank" between 1948-1967 was the result of aggression in 1948 and was not internationally recognized. Israel's claim to the territory is based on the exercise of its legitimate right of self-defense.
UN Security Council Resolution 242 does not require Israel's withdrawal to June 4, 1967 lines. The British and American drafters of the resolution clearly explained that the extent of withdrawal was purposely never defined. "It would have been wrong to demand that Israel return to its positions of June 4, 1967, because these positions were undesirable and artificial," insisted Lord Caradon, the British ambassador.
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