Year In Review - The Top 15 Newsmakers of 2005 - #11

The last six months of 2005 were strange ones indeed for observers of Middle Eastern politics, and the reason for that was because of the actions of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

A hawk's hawk, former Israeli army general Sharon pulled an unpredictable and stunning reversal of long-time Likud party policy in August of this year when he evicted Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip. In September, Israel formally left Gaza and Sharon's leadership was challenged by former PM and Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu, who left Cabinet in protest. Now, however, the road to the leadership of Likud seems wide open for Netanyahu as Sharon quit the party last month and has started a new party to be called Kadima. This more moderate movement has attracted the likes of Shimon Peres and it is likely that Sharon will retain the Prime Ministership.

Observers have been perplexed by Sharon's moves this year, as he was the last Israeli politican anyone would have expected to cede any terrority to the Palestinians. However, his moves have not dampened the resolve of suicide bombers, who just last week launched another fatal attack.

The future of Israel-Palestine relations and the broader Middle East more generally depends almost entirely on what Sharon's next step will be. There's no doubt the wily old general will keep us guessing.