Reporter: Sharon tough for Israel to replace

The incapacitation of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon by a stroke may threaten the Middle East peace process, according to Israeli journalist Yaron Deckel.

Deckel spoke to a nearly packed room in the Annenberg School of Communication yesterday. He discussed the turbulence of life in Israel in recent months.

Deckel said that strong leadership is necessary for the success of the Middle East peace process because Palestine and Israel have a complex and unstable relationship. Hamas has not renounced violence and does not recognize Israel as legitimate, while Israel has not acknowledged the legitimacy of Hamas, he said.

But after withdrawing Israelis from the Gaza Strip and forming a new political party, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon fell ill and has remained hospitalized ever since.

Further complicating matters in the Middle East, Deckel said, is the election of Hamas, a group that calls for the destruction of Israel, to power among Palestinians.

Despite these roadblocks, Deckel said that peace remains a possibility.

"Hamas and [Sharon] share the same interest," he said, yet they must work "slowly toward a Palestinian state without recognizing each other."

With elections only a month away in Israel, Deckel has reservations about the ability of Ehud Olmert, the acting prime minister and election front-runner, to provide the strong leadership that he says Sharon did.

Sharon revolutionized the Middle East during his time in office and left a lasting legacy of unilateral action in dealing with security issues, Deckel said.

He was a "genius in internal political tactics," Deckel said.

According to Deckel, Olmert lacks Sharon's "popularity, military experience and charisma."

Students were impressed by Deckel's knowledge and experience.

"I thought he did a good job," College senior Dvora Wilensky said. "He had interesting views."

Joshua Yarden, a doctoral candidate in the Graduate School of Education, said he respected Deckel for being "even-handedly suspicious" with respect to Israeli and Palestinian authority.

"It was refreshing that he did not try to just make a case for Israel," Yarden said.

One of Israel's most notable journalists and political analysts, Deckel covered Israeli politics before becoming the Washington Bureau Chief for the Israeli Broadcasting Authority. In his 20 years of experience he has had access to high-ranking government officials in both Israel and other nations.

He spoke as part of the Fox Leadership Speakers Forum.

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