Netanyahu Going After Sharon

Good. The infighting is bad, but we must stop the self-flagellation (not flatulation) and cut our losses (not the cheese). From Debka:

For the first time in Israel’s political history, a party in power begins a campaign to oust its own leader from the premiership. Monday, the Likud central committee was called into session for September 26 over Sharon’s objections to set a date for new primaries in a secret ballot.

His main challenger, Netanyahu listed his own policy as based on reliance on the IDF (for national security) and on no other foreign armies; extracting Palestinian quid pro quo for Israel’s concessions; and a popular referendum prior to territorial decision-making.

A former prime minister himself, Netanyahu listed his own policy as based on reliance on the IDF (for national security) and on no other foreign armies; extracting Palestinian quid pro quo for Israel’s concessions; and a popular referendum prior to territorial decision-making.

Another point from another Debka article:

Netanyahu’s belated challenge to Sharon’s leadership is less important per se than the dangerous prospect of its outcome being determined not by the Israeli voter but by Palestinian terror tacticians.

Had Abu Mazen followed up on the Israeli pull-back with determined action to disarm and disband Palestinian terrorist organizations and then moved forward to join Israel in peace negotiations, Sharon could taken the Netanyahu threat in his stride. But this is not happening. The fact of the matter is that the level of Palestinian terror is climbing day by day, and the first post-evacuation suicide attack has already taken place in Beersheba. Israeli troops are still in Gaza demolishing Israeli homes and dismantling their installations - and already they are targeted by the gunmen of the first outside Palestinian terror group to arrive from Lebanon, Ahmed Jibril’s PFLP-GC.

Palestinian violence will fuel Netanyahu’s chances of toppling Sharon – unless the Sharon government shows it can fight back. Evacuated Gaza, far from becoming Abu Mazen’s power base and a place to start the de-terrorization of people, is turning out to be a magnet for his most extreme opponents. PLO politburo chief Farouk Kadoumi threatens to come over as soon as the last Israeli soldier is gone. The Palestinian terrorist command bases in Damascus and Lebanon are packing their bags ready for the journey to Gaza. For the first time in 40 years, they see their chance of taking the war against Israel into its heartland and getting their terrorists inside the Jewish state.