If Sharon is wise enough to exercise self-restraint on the matter of aid, as he has done on the Palestinian issue, it can be assumed that aid will eventually arrive.
It is certainly a disappointment for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that the US decided not to grant Israel $800 million in special aid at this stage, as reported in “Globes” on June 24. Sharon accepted all the US proposals on the Palestinian matter. Any prime minister in his position would certainly ask himself what else Israel could have done to be considered worthy of receiving the aid. For that very reason, since it would be very easy to sink into such a mood, we must hope that Sharon is wise enough to avoid it.
The underlying reason why the aid was not granted is that the nature of the relationship between the Bush Administration and the Sharon government has not yet crystalized; it is still in the process of being formed. The process got off on the right foot; in fact, even on two right feet. As with many Israelis, however, the US still questions whether the current Sharon is the real Sharon, or whether his true colors have yet to be revealed.
The answer is probably quite simple – the current Sharon is the real Prime Minister Sharon. The fact that he sang a different tune in other roles means nothing. Being prime minister is a completely different story, as we have frequently seen. The US, however, is still not convinced. They need more time to be sure. The key words in the US decision are therefore, “at this stage.” If Sharon is wise enough to exercise self-restraint on the matter of aid, as he has done on the Palestinian issue, it can be assumed that aid will eventually arrive.