Sharon Plans Alternative to Arafat

Opinion by Richard Johnson, Contributor

Anybody who said Ariel Sharon never had a plan should take a long hardlook at the Israeli Prime Minister’s recent visit to Washington. Hisfourth visit stateside in exactly one year in office is nothing toscoff at: most congressmen don’t meet the President so often. Thistime Sharon had a revolutionary agenda to present to his patrons: the“Alternative to Arafat” plan, one put into high gear with the recentswing of events.

One reason Sharon met with Bush & Co. recently was to confirm tohimself that America’s taciturn reaction to Israel’s aggressiveretaliatory methodology of the last months is not just a façade. Afterencouraging his estranged foreign minister, Shimon Peres–the oldwarhorse of peace (pardon the paradox)–to meet with second-tierPalestinian leaders over the past few weeks, Sharon himself broke apersonal barrier last week by meeting with Abu Mazen and Ahmed Queria,as well as others. Far from a coincidental set of events, Sharon cannow present to his patrons in Washington his theory that there is analternative to Arafat. Sharon’s plan, it seems, is not only to spark arevolution among the Palestinian leadership but also to carry it outhimself on their behalf.

But if it’s revolution Sharon is looking for, he needs to take carethat he’s not crushing the black kettle and overlooking the pot.There’s no denying that if either of the two neighboring societies isin unexpected turmoil, it’s the Israeli side. Overlapping Sharon inWashington was his Defense Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, and the twoparty leaders are not even on speaking terms. Instead they send tersemessages to each other via secretaries. Ben-Eliezer held separatemeetings with Dick Cheney and Condoleeza Rice, and then proceeded topublicize their biting criticism of Arafat to the media in a quest forhis own headlines ahead of the Sharon-Bush summit. Meanwhile, therehas never been harmony between Sharon and Peres, and the only reasonthe latter hasn’t bolted the coalition government is because it wouldmean the end of his long political career.

Israel is reeling from a huge economic crisis that has seen the shekelplummet 10 percent against the dollar in six months and sentunemployment skyrocketing. The Israeli peace camp, until recentlyparalyzed by popular support for the retaliation against Palestiniansuicide attacks, finds itself reinvigorated by the rash of Israelihouse demolitions in Palestinian refugee camps and by the recentpetition, now signed by more than 200 reserve soldiers, of officersrefusing to serve in the occupation army in the West Bank and GazaStrip.

There is also another element Sharon is apparently too blind to see: aPalestinian population not about to turn its back on its frail leader.The isolation of Arafat has certainly not convinced Palestinians thatIsrael is interested in a diplomatic solution. The mass public willnot accept the dethroning of Arafat as anything but a Sharonian coup.Anarchy will lead to the hegemonic ascendancy of the strongest, mostradical person, not the one with the best ideas for a free anddemocratic Palestine. The people could never respect such a governmentanyway; a regime whose existence was procured by the Israeli colonialpower will always have a crippled dependence on Israel, therebydelegitimating its supposed mandated powers from the people.

Yasser Arafat, whether he stays or goes, is not the question here. Itis ridiculous to think that there can be a casual transition of powerleading to a cessation of the Palestinian Intifada against oppressionwhile the occupation persists. There can be no trust in an Israel thatdictates a leader unto its colonial subjects. Then again, Sharon’sresume is complete with ridiculous ideas. He will have his victory:the demise of his longtime nemesis, the man whom he regrets notkilling twenty years ago in Beirut. The occupation and the Israelirepression will go on. Who says Sharon is looking for anything morethan that?

Richard Johnson is an English language teacher and policy issuesresearcher living in Ramallah in the West Bank.