The Man, the Idea, The Party

Ariel Sharon had a stroke this evening. Apparently his condition is stable, but the man is 77 and grossly overweight. This can't be good for him. But this forces us to consider a topic that many have been discussing recently: Is Kadima all about Sharon, or is it about the centrist ideology he has chosen? Is it about disengagement in light of the demographic threat, or is it about the Israeli public trusting Sharon, and only Sharon, to provide security? Without Sharon at the helm, will the new party crumble to dust? It's hard to say. Kadima is effectively a single-issue party. My friend Nathan told me he hopes Kadima has to form a coalition with Labor, and that Labor allows Kadima to disengage unilaterally while Kadima allows Labor to fix the economy and the social gaps. That's not too bad a thought, though I would still vote Labor or Meretz. But without Sharon, who else has the strength to make unilateral moves? And are unilateral moves the best option? Maybe Kadima will negotiate? I used to be in favor of unilateral action, saying the ball is in Israel's court, especially when Arafat was alive. But now I'm not sure. I do think disengagement is better than the status quo though.