IT JUST TAKES ONE TO REACH AN AGREEMENT AFTER ALL:

Confronting Sharon's 'my way' doctrine (Jerrold Kessel and Pierre Klochendler, AUGUST 11, 2005, International Herald Tribune)

The Palestinian-Israeli equation is set to change in a few days when Israel begins to get out of Gaza. Even as struggles continue to unfold sporadically among both Israelis and Palestinians, most eyes are already fixed on what comes next - how to link Gaza's fate with that of the West Bank, as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice keeps telling Israelis and Palestinians, and how the Israeli pullout should re-activate the road map for peace.

A key issue, evolving out of both these questions, is who will rule Gaza after the Israeli withdrawal. There's a real fear of a power vacuum that could create a backlash against peace.

But another facet - largely ignored until now - could have even greater impact on future peace moves. That facet has to do less with the policies of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, and more to do with his way of making policy. Call it the Unilateral Way, Sharon's "My Way." Would-be peace makers may not like it, but that it is now on the table, they ignore at their peril.

This is the aspect of the Sharansky/Bush/Sharon plan that folks have understood least, that by acting unilaterally and ignoring the Palestinians they are creating a new reality. This is a power America has had since at least WWII, but only rarely used. Fleshing it out as doctrine and demonstrating a willingness to use it is revolutionary and the revolution dates from: June 24, 2002.

Posted by Orrin Judd at August 11, 2005 6:06 AM