The BBC calls the world reaction to Sharon's medical situation mixed. Terrorist groups are elated. Some Palestinian politicians are more cautious, knowing that things can change quite rapidly, especially if the terrorists go nuts - it hurts their public relations. And more than a few think that Sharon's departure would mean an even more hardline approach towards the Palestinians. Curious.
Meanwhile, the Palestinians are up to their usual tricks, but have added a few new ones. They're now taking on the Egyptians. More than 60 have been arrested by the Egyptians for the riots started in Rafah that spilled across the border when Palestinians took bulldozers to the fenceline. This makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. Of course, the negotiations are all with the intent and purpose of destroying Israel in a million little steps, but that's not important right now. The Palestinians will simply play the waiting game until the March elections. The peace process will be on hold until then.
Israelis have to wonder what will happen to Kadima, the party started by Sharon after deciding that Likud wasn't sensitive enough to Israel's security needs. Who will succeed Sharon? Olmert is the temporary Prime Minister, but there are others who have higher profiles that could run the party. Ehud Olmert, Tzipi Livni, and Shaul Mofaz are just three of the politicians involved in the party who could take the lead considering Sharon's medical condition. Meir Sheetrit is another Kadima member who could take the reins, but my money would be on Olmert at this point. Even Mofaz is throwing his support behind Olmert. It's also unlikely that the Israeli elections in March would be delayed regardless of Sharon's medical situation.
Olmert held the first cabinet meeting since Sharon's crisis yesterday. The business of governance waits for no one, and the business of running Israel is no exception.
And this situation once again should beg the question of whether the US government is fully capable of resuming work should an attack succeed against the federal government. Continuity of government isn't a big priority these days, despite the fact that one of the four planes hijacked on 9/11 was meant for the Capitol building. While there are some plans under consideration and some steps have been taken, the chain of command is quite limited and how Congress would function under such circumstances is an unanswered question. Given that Congress is required to operate with a working quorum, there are serious questions as to what would happen should a majority be incapacitated or killed in an attack. And that uncertainty means that an attack could paralyze the ability of the nation to retaliate against its enemies, make the necessary appropriations, and conduct the business of government.
UPDATE:
Daniel Pipes thinks Israel's political situation will revert to its prior form - the end of Kadima and the reabsorption of Kadima politicians into Likud and Labor. Israpundit agrees with Pipes. I'm not so sure. Kadima was clearly a centrist party founded on a single issue, but it had widespread support. The real question is whether the support was for the cult of personality of Sharon, or for the general propositions on which he founded the new party. I think there might be more support for the party than Pipes suggests. Mere Rhetoric thinks that the politicians who joined Kadima have plenty of incentives to make it work - given all the burned bridges and lack of suitable alternatives.
Irish Pennants reminds folks that no one is indispensable.
The Palestinians continue to celebrate the impending death of Sharon. Gunfire and rocket launches. But the folks at Democratic Underground aren't any better at containing their glee at Sharon's unfortunate turn of health.
UPDATE:
It looks like Sharon will be kept in an induced coma for up to 72 hours. More details on his specific treatment:
Dr. Shlomo Mor-Yosef, director general of Hadassah Hospital, said Sharon would remain in deep sedation and on a respirator for at least two and possibly three days to allow him to "recover from severe trauma." The treatment would decrease pressure in Sharon's skull, and after the sedation period, doctors hope to gradually awaken him, Mor-Yosef said.
Sharon, who underwent seven hours of emergency surgery to stop widespread bleeding in his brain, was in serious but stable condition. The massive stroke made it unlikely that the 77-year-old prime minister would return to power.
Mor-Yosef said doctors had not received a "no resuscitation order" that would prevent them from trying to revive a patient whose heart or breathing has stopped.
"We are fighting for the life of the prime minister, with no compromise," Mor-Yosef said.
UPDATE:
What do Pat Robertson and Iranian nutcase Ahmadinejad have in common? They both wish ill on Ariel Sharon. Robertson thinks that Sharon's stroke is god's way of punishing Sharon for dividing Israel and therefore thwarting the second coming. Okily dokily. Let's not forget that without Sharon, Israel would quite possibly have ceased to exist in 1973.
Meanwhile, Ahmadinejad would much prefer Sharon to perish. That goes with his whole "wiping Israel off the map" meme, so that one wasn't much of a surprise.
Others noting the curious confluence of crapulent thinking: The Moderate Voice, Atlas Shrugs, The Sundries Shack, Andrew Sullivan, and Abracadabrah.
Meanwhile, Saeb Erekat has the gaul to say that he hopes that Israel lives up to its obligations regardless of who's in charge. Considering that the Palestinians have not fulfilled any of its obligations under Oslo in the decade since that document was signed, nor any of the agreements or frameworks or roadmaps decided since, I'll have to work hard to contain my laughter at Erekat.
On a more serious note, IRIS blog has a number of concerns about Sharon's treatment, including why Sharon was not taken to a hospital closer to his Negev ranch and why there wasn't an emergency plan in place. There are good questions to be raised, but I think that his family thought that he had time to get to his doctor and hospital of choice. That's a decision that they may come to regret. IRIS has additional coverage as well.
Technorati: ariel sharon, stroke, peace process, disengagement, palestinians, israel, middle east, olmert, continuity.
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