Watching the hospitalisation of Ariel Sharon has raised many issues and emotions in my mind. Whenever major political events occur I always think of how it will impact the Muslims and how we should react to any given situation. Ariel Sharon isn’t any old leader, he is one who the Israelis adore because of his influence in making Israel what it is today and a leader who the Muslims hate for pretty much the same reason. Whether you love him or loathe him is irrelevant, what is important however, is what effect his imminent departure (or death) will have on the political landscape of the middle east. One thing it has shown is the gulf in sentiments between the Palestinian authority and the Palestinians. Mahmoud Abbas has expressed his deep concern and wished the stricken leader a speedy recovery. The Palestinians on the other hand have been in jubilant mood, handing out sweets just like they would during Eid.

Perhaps Abbas is just concerned that if Sharon goes, he will be replaced by a more right wing, hardliner like Netanyahu. More hard-line than Sharon? A scary thought considering Sharon was involved in the slaughter of thousands of people of Sabra and Shatila in Lebanon, hence the name butcher of Beirut. In fact his reputation as a strong military leader is what has made him so popular in Israel. So what makes Abbas fearful of the demise of Sharon? It’s the loss of the peace process and the progress made in reclaiming land like Gaza. It is also feared that if a right wing leader took power it would strengthen the power of Hamas and improve their performance in the upcoming elections. This has happened before in Israel. In 2000 Sharon visited Al Aqsa, a very controversial move that delighted the right wing elements within Israel and infuriated the Palestinians and resulted in the intifada. The reality is that most Israelis like hardliners because they feel that they will come down hard on the Palestinian militant extremists. But during Sharon’s leadership Israel made “concessions” like withdrawing from Gaza and making progress in the peace process, moves that you wouldn’t imagine Sharon making. Whoever comes into power will eventually satisfy the interests of the USA and continue the peace process; this is because America wants stability in the region. The USA is a big fan of stability in the Middle East because of its strategic importance and because it allows it to pursue its economic interests in the region and form long term policies. The next leader may huff and puff and cause a bit of a storm to start with, but with time he will be forced to approach the negotiating table.

This brings me to my second point, is the peace process really worth stressing about anyway? Does it even matter if the peace process goes down the same road as Sharon?

The situation in Palestine reminds me of what is happening in Iraq, there’s supposed democratisation, moves to bringing peace and security and the “gradual” withdrawals. It’s all supposed to sound lovely but nothing ever seems to improve, the Palestinians are still oppressed, occupied and poor and the Oslo accord, which started it all off is a distant memory. These are the first of many reforms that will be made in the Middle East in an effort to quell the increasing anger towards their governments and the west. The theory is that if the Palestinians are engaged in political reforms and gaining some land back then they will feel like they are progressing and that a bright future is just over the horizon, hence calming their anger and emotions. These reforms and “concessions” don’t stand for very much. The Palestinians are still enslaved and Gaza is still being attacked by the Israeli air force. The Israeli’s like to appear that they are making concessions to win themselves some political clout and cover up their other oppressive policies towards the Palestinians.

Hence these reforms will not succeed as their novelty will wear off and the people will realise that nothing has changed or improved. In fact they will intensify the problem as the Muslims will realise pragmatic solutions just don’t work and just act as a smoke screen.

I pray to Allah that he eases the suffering of the Palestinians and that soon they will be giving out sweets to celebrate the end of their oppression.