| The colossus of Israel's Center-Right is no more. | | | | enter the playing field. If the Israelis cannot "get |
| Sharon's cerebral hemorrhage, induced coma, and | | | | their act together" to follow Bush's Roadmap for |
| declared departure from Israel's political life have | | | | Peace (i.e., land for peace), there will be |
| created a grave and vacuous ability for Israel to | | | | consequences that neither Israel nor the US wish |
| carry on viable negotiations with either the | | | | to face-especially, at this time. |
| Palestinians or other belligerents. This assessment | | | | Today's (January 5, 2006) super bowl input |
| is more an international impression and less an | | | | meeting organized by the President-bringing |
| Israeli one; however, it is the international | | | | scores of former Secretaries of State and |
| community's perception that overwhelms. | | | | Defense together to discuss Middle East issues-did |
| Successors are no where to be found compared | | | | not circumvent Israel's political crisis. Rest assured |
| with the stature and personality of the "Bulldozer." | | | | that prickly pear was discussed: What to do after |
| PM stand-in, Ehud Olmert, the quintessential | | | | Sharon? |
| bureaucrat, along with recently-rejected Labor | | | | Sharon's void must be filled. Time does not permit |
| leader, Shimon Peres-may try, but their finest | | | | that luxury. This is precisely why if Netanyahu by |
| hour will not survive the Humpty-Dumpty fall that | | | | default ascends to the occasion, he will be getting |
| Kadima ("forward") sustained. Likewise, who | | | | a call from Washington posthaste. That exchange, |
| knows, heard and seen Labor's new choice: Amir | | | | you can be certain, will express the will of the |
| Peretz? All we know is that he's a flaming socialist! | | | | Presidency of the United States. The Roadmap |
| That leaves Benjamin Netanyahu and the party | | | | for Peace will be the express topic and staying its |
| which Sharon forsook, Likud. Kicking off the New | | | | course will be the measurement of Presidential |
| Year some 400 Likud delegates championed the | | | | support behind Israel's future leader. |
| actions of a former leader of Likud, Menachem | | | | Just as in each crisis the U.S. exacts something |
| Begin: Preemptively destroy Iran's all-too-clear | | | | from Israel (e.g., Israel stayed out of the Gulf |
| nuclear program-designed to "Wipe Israel off the | | | | Wars); Israel then extracts something from the |
| Map!" | | | | U.S. (more military cooperation, hardware, etc.). |
| Likud member, Ra'anana Deputy Mayor Uzi Cohen, | | | | This provides a unique opportunity-or should we |
| expressed the overwhelming majority of Likud | | | | imply temptation-for Israel. Is it time to go on the |
| members: "Bomb Iran's nuclear reactor before it | | | | line and have the U.S., once and for all, |
| is too late." The echo from Iran's President | | | | guarantee-underwrite- Israel's peace? For Israel to |
| Mahmoud Ahmadinejad mirrored his holocaust | | | | comply with Bush's Roadmap-she will have her |
| remarks-Sharon should die. | | | | quid pro quo; she always does. |
| Converging upon the Middle East landscape are | | | | The U.S. and Israel are being driven together by |
| the Israeli March, 2006 elections, and Iran's nuclear | | | | events and forces beyond their immediate control. |
| bomb. Indifference is not an option-either on the | | | | Iran's reprehensible threats, Islamic radicalism on |
| part of Israel or the U.S. | | | | her borders (Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad), as |
| Netanyahu's break with Sharon was decisive-we | | | | well as throughout the region, and now political |
| will not back out of the territories; we will not | | | | chaos in Israel-events have simply overtaken us. |
| close one more settlement! For Netanyahu to | | | | It's time for the President of the United States to |
| "move to the center" and become more | | | | make his move. Israel may have no choice but to |
| Sharon-like, might be a wise political decision, but a | | | | swallow a bitter pill . . . in order to secure her |
| bitter pill to swallow-he is no heir apparent to | | | | survival by the world's only super power. Indeed, |
| Sharon; he abides his rival. | | | | it may appear bold, rude and even insensitive to |
| In sum: Israel's infrastructure, systems, military, | | | | the Israelis-but who else can get us back on the |
| ad nausea, ad infinitum, are irrefutable, but her | | | | Road again? |
| political leadership is paralyzed by the current | | | | "He will cause to bear upon the many a covenant |
| chaos created by Sharon's diminishing. | | | | . . ." (Daniel 9:27). |
| This leads to the title of this brevity-it is time for | | | | Please see the four-part series on the U.S. |
| the President of the United States of America to | | | | |