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Emanuel A. Winston , Middle East analyst and commentator, writes extensively about geo-politics and war, often forecasting coming events in the region of the Middle East, including the relations between Washington and Jerusalem.
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By Emanuel A. Winston
February 14, 2006
From the days after Israel?s Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's massive stroke January 4th, the unguarded word came out through police channels that he had died. Then, that statement was quickly withdrawn and a medical fog settled over his true condition.
He has been, seemingly, kept alive by the available machines while Acting PM Ehud Olmert and the Bush Administration made plans.
Clearly, it was imperative to keep Sharon in the picture as power was transferred to Olmert. Above all, the equally moribund Road Map must also be put on 'life support', particularly since the Hamas victory. It seems imperative to the Bush Administration that Olmert and the Kadima Party take control of the Israeli government to continue the illegal evacuation of Judea, Samaria, the Golan Heights, Jordan Valley and all those areas of Jerusalem controlled by King Hussein for 19 years from 1948 to 1967.
It was equally imperative to squeeze as much as possible out of the comatose Sharon.
This meant not declaring him dead, which required strict control of the hospital staff, including the surgeons, internists, hospital administrative staff and head of the hospital Dr. Shlomo Mor-Yosef, who has been the only spokesman available to the media.
There is every indication that, with the cooperation of Sharon?s sons, there will be a planned time to pull the plug and announce his death formally. Clearly, it is important for Omri, Sharon?s older son, who just received his sentencing after pleading guilty to funding violations on behalf of his father's primary campaign six years ago, attempts to conceal sources of those funds and perjury. Omri Sharon is sentenced to 9 months in prison, 9 months suspended and NIS300,000 ($64,000). Tel Aviv Magistrate Court President Beckenstein deferred sentence for six months due to the elder Sharon's grave condition.
This six month delay will probably put Olmert into position as the new Prime Minister to limit or pardon Omri sometime after the elections.
Timing is everything in being able to plan for the announcement of Sharon's death. This includes a grand funeral with all the pomp and ceremony possible. The new PM Ehud Olmert would, of course, act as ringmaster center stage, giving him all the media attention beneficial to his role as new Prime Minister.
Also center stage will be the invited personages able to pre-clear their calendars, knowing the precise time the plug would be pulled and the announcement of Sharon's death proclaimed. Although Sharon was not religious, nevertheless, it is customary within Jewish law to bury a person in one day after his death.
To further boost Olmert's prestige just before elections, he needs the event and all the famous people congratulating Olmert. We should see President and Mrs. Bush, Condoleezza Rice, several American Congressmen and Jewish leaders, as well as former U.S. presidents such as Bill Clinton and Senator Hilary (running for her next election), the Carters -- and don't be surprised to see Mahmoud Abbas (aka Abu Mazen) as an eyewitness to assure Hamas that Sharon is really dead.
There will, no doubt, be celebrations by the Muslims in Syria, Iran, Egypt and, of course, among the Muslim Arab Palestinians. The Media will be there by the hundreds. It will, indeed, be a well-planned three-ring circus.
But, all will vector in on Ehud Olmert so as to give him the boost and added edge in his coming elections. Therefore, we can only guess at the planned timing which optimally will be one or two weeks before the March 28th elections.
However, given that Sharon?s body has already gone into a state of necrosis -- where tissue dies and gangrene sets in as indicated by the removal of two feet of his large intestine Saturday February 11th -- they may be forced into an earlier announcement.
It is shameful and ugly but, hey -- that is what happens to leaders who are used well beyond their last breath when politics are concerned.
Views expressed by the author do not
necessarily reflect those of israelinsider.
 
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