All of these actions were understood as provocations by the extreme right. |
For two hours the country held its breath. The anxiety was real, both for the health of Sharon the man and for the competence of Sharon the prime minister. |
The (settlers') goal was to create a legacy, a trauma that was so big ... that no Israeli government would dare to do something similar in the future. |
The stroke that Sharon suffered illustrated to Israelis how much they need him now. In the eyes of most of them, including many who support rival parties, he is the conclusive authority on security matters. |
This was not an election stunt. All of the contenders in the race for prime minister would have almost certainly made an identical decision. |
Voters love these kind of operations in which the enemy is humiliated and our forces return safely to base. |
When the current election campaign period began, the assumption was that this would be a fascinating election campaign, one of the more dramatic that the state of Israel has ever known. |