Political Upheaval

It is a sad day in Israeli society when the Likud party has become too hawkish for Ariel Sharon. And this is nothing against the actions that Sharon has taken in the last year. I applaud him for disengaging from Gaza, even though he effectively ousted himself from his own party. But let's briefly look at his career. He served as a top minister in Herut, Menachem Begin's party, the political realization of Jabotinsky's Revisionist Zionism. As defense minister, Sharon led it a disastrous war in Lebanon, probably the most protested war in Israeli history. And sketchy military incidents seem to pepper his career. The man was seen as the political father of Gush Emunim. Not a very centrist record by the 1980's for sure.
I still remember the '96 election of Bibi Netanyahu and hearing people saying, "It could be worse. It could have been Ariel Sharon." (People, of course, being supporters of Labor, not supporters of Likud.) And now, nearly 10 years later, Sharon is breaking from the Likud because it is too extreme for him. I'm glad Sharon has become less extreme with time. I'm disgusted that the Likud has responded by becoming even more extreme.