Europe Warily Eyes Sharon’s Situation
European leaders on Thursday fretted over the fate of Ariel Sharon, a man once seen in Europe as a danger for the Middle East but now viewed as a more complex, even crucial figure.
The concerns reflect a subtle shift in Europe - where there has been surprised admiration for Sharon’s dismantling of settlements, satisfaction with the role now played by Europeans on the Gaza-Egypt border, and a growing wariness with the Islamic world.
“Ariel Sharon plays a particularly important role in the quest for lasting peace in the Middle East,'’ Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel said in a get-well message to the Israeli leader, who was in serious condition after a massive stroke. Austria holds the European Union’s rotating presidency.
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw praised Sharon as “a towering figure not only in Israel but in the whole of the region.'’
Speaking to reporters in Beirut after talks with his Lebanese counterpart Fawzi Salloukh, Straw said Sharon’s attempts to find a settlement to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict had “earned him huge respect across the world.'’
More: guardian.co.uk
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Source : novinite.com
