Word: sharone
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...their 20s and 30s, these men are representative of a generation of Jewish extremists who have taken up residence in the occupied territories and have come to see the government of Ariel Sharon as a threat to their way of life. Angrily dismissive of Sharon's plan to withdraw them from their homes in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, they say they will resist with force. Israel's Shin Bet domestic security service believes that several dozen young settlers consider themselves bound by religious duty to protect the land of Israel, even if it means fighting against the state...
...hope to seem him buried in Gaza. Israeli security chiefs want to avoid provoking a Palestinian nation in mourning or to be seen as interfering in any succession struggle. For Israel's political echelon, however, the challenge is more complex. Israeli politicians are suddenly questioning the relevance of Ariel Sharon's plan for a unilateral withdrawal from Gaza. Even within Sharon's government, some are now arguing that with Arafat gone, so is the argument that there is no Palestinian peace partner, and the Gaza pullout can now be negotiated and coordinated with the Palestinian leadership...
...Arafat's passing brings on a more acute political problem for Sharon. Although the Israeli prime minister has outlasted and outwitted his nemesis, prevailing in his generational struggle against Palestinian nationalism even to the extent of undoing Arafat's diplomatic triumphs of the Oslo years, he may have won a pyrrhic victory. Sharon strategic goal, after all, has been not to revive President Bush's roadmap, but to avoid it, instead pursuing a unilateral redrawing of boundaries (the Gaza pullout) that would strengthen Israel's grip on the West Bank and remove any pressure to negotiate a permanent two-state...
...White House freed of the constraints of a tough reelection battle and under mounting pressure to restore the peace process may be less inclined than previously to indulge any effort by Sharon to evade a resumption of the roadmap process. The Bush White House indicated Thursday that a second term represents a "new opportunity to move forward on the 'road map' and get to the two-state vision that the President outlined," and Arafat's departure make it considerably easier for Washington to demand that Israel resume a process with the Palestinians aimed at achieving a peace agreement that cedes...
...Sharon will still have some leeway in demanding that a new Palestinian leadership proves its intent to clamp down on terrorism. But if the leadership replacing Arafat is dominated by the likes of such recognized moderates as former Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas the Israeli leader will also face pressure to help his Palestinian counterparts cement their authority. The most important first step in this regard may be withdrawing troops and easing the security grip on Palestinian population centers to allow the holding of elections...