HOW MUCH DOES SHARON GRASP?:

Israel's new middle way: Sharon has quit Likud to form a new centrist party ahead of elections in early spring (Ilene R. Prusher, 11/22/05, The Christian Science Monitor

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, rarely one to wait for others to act first, made a series of preemptive political strikes Monday that laid the groundwork for a new centrist party and may cement his position as Israel's premier hawk-made-moderate.

After resigning from the hard-line Likud on Sunday and calling for early elections in March, Mr. Sharon Monday announced the formation of the National Responsibility Party. If successful, Sharon's new party could transcend Israel's right-left divide and claim a mandate for negotiating a settlement to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Here's where Bibi Netanyahu's political opportunism is really harmful--this party could really use someone who's enthusiatic about pursuing the Third Way as vigorously in the economic sphere as a Blair, Howard or Bush. It runs the risk of pursuing a middle way only on the question of national security. But Israel's existential threat is domestic, not foreign.

Posted by Orrin Judd at November 21, 2005 5:58 PM