News reports are now saying that Ariel Sharon is fighting for his life.
Whatever I may think of his recent policies and tactics, the man is a giant who's devoted his entire life to his country. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family and the entire State of Israel. Wishing him the fullest possible recovery.
Update: Mere Rhetoric and Kesher Talk are posting ongoing updates. Meanwhile, some surprising reactions are coming from palestinian Arabs:
Ghazi al-Saadi, a Palestinian commentator on the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya network, offered Ariel Sharon unexpected praise as "the first Israeli leader who stopped claiming Israel had a right to all of the Palestinians' land," a reference to Israel's recent withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
"A live Sharon is better for the Palestinians now, despite all the crimes he has committed against us," al-Saadi said.
A live Sharon is most certainly better for them, and it's gratifying to see that at least some of them are realizing that. Others, however, are reacting more predictably.
Later update: Fox News spokesditz (CNN and MSNBC are on other things right now) is babbling about Sharon making peace with the palestinians. WTF? The correspondent in Jerusalem looks lost and rolls his head around for a minute before someone tells him he's on the air. We desparately need a real cable news channel.
It seems that there's going to be a lot of finger pointing here. Inappropriate blood thinners, confusion about hospitals and transportation, new evidence to bolster corruption charges. All of this is percolating around and it's all beside the point. Let's leave the blame game for another day. Sharon is back in surgery and things aren't looking good. Meanwhile, Raanan Gissin warns Israel's neighbors not to try to take advantage of the situation. Reminds me of this old West Wing episode. "Don't mess with us tonight."
