Ariel Sharon is not a daring leader, but rather a delivery boy of the White House. The Bush government has a commitment toward the Arab world – and particularly when it is up to its neck in the Iraqi mess – and applies brutal pressure on Sharon. The result of this pressure is his abandoning the Likud, establishing "Kadima" and ensuring the dismantling of settlements.
The implementation of "the Road Map" will lead to turbulent clashes with the Nationalistic-religious Right – but if Sharon will succeed in forming a wide leftist coalition, including at least 60 Jewish mandates, this process may be moved forward. Of course the success of this process also depends on the Palestinian Authority's capacity to keep its crazed elements under restraint.
