Doctors Say Sharon Has Only Slim Chance

Who would have ever guessed that the man who indirectly involved in the Sabra and Shatilla massacre, who ushered in a far right-wing administration when elected as Israel's Prime Minister in 2001, would be the one to take steps towards establishing a Palestinian state by dismantling settlements in the West Bank?

And now he's gravely ill, and it appears that whoever succeeds him may not follow, or be able to follow up his actions toward peace in the Middle East.

Among Arabs, sober views of relations after Sharon

This history, and his personal style, have led to shrugs at best and occasional expressions of glee in Arab capitals. But many experts on Israel-Palestinian relations say that with Sharon out of the political picture, Palestinians and their Arab allies may find he was their best possible friend.

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"He was intent on continuing this process of withdrawal, and hopefully coordinating with the Palestinians," Mr. Baskin says. "Even if it is a unilateral action, if he can remove 70 or 80 settlements, and take Israel out of 60 percent of the West Bank, ... that's enough for the next three years, and no one else in Israel is capable of doing that."

Baskin also says that Sharon's address at the UN in September, recognizing statehood as a Palestinian right, was a "leap forward."

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If Hamas, which supports Israel's destruction, does well in Palestinian elections later this month, analysts expect some Israelis to move right. Many who trusted Sharon even when they disagreed with him could throw their support to Likud's Benjamin Netanyahu, who opposed the Gaza pullout and seems unlikely to further peace efforts.