By Stan Goodenough
Dec 18, 2005
Israel was thrown into a state of political turmoil Sunday evening when Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was rushed to Jerusalem?s Hadassah En Kerem Hospital after complaining of being unwell and then slipping into unconsciousness.
Reports in the Israeli press said the 77-year-old Sharon had suffered a minor stroke. He had regained consciousness upon arrival at the hospital?s trauma unit but had been confused.
Neurologists quoted in the press said the prime minister was going through a series of tests and was in a stable condition.
Notwithstanding the absence of a definitive diagnosis and prognosis, speculation began raging wildly about the effect Sharon?s unexpected health hiccough could have on a variety of political landscapes in the immediate and mid-term future.
According to reports, the drama began when Sharon was leaving Jerusalem for his Negev ranch after a normal working Sunday that had included his weekly cabinet meeting.
The leader?s motorcade was a little way outside the capital when Sharon began to complain of feeling unwell. Within minutes he was being rushed to the Hadassah Medical Center at En Kerem, and reportedly had lost consciousness before arriving there.
After being wheeled into the facility on a stretcher Sharon reportedly regained consciousness but was confused for some time, though he did apparently speak and was able to move his arm.
Playing down his situation, Vice-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ? who is in line to assume Sharon?s responsibilities if the Prime Minister is incapacitated ? monitored reports from where he was watching a soccer match in Haifa, but chose not to leave the game for the hospital.
Commentators speculated that Olmert was trying to keep from sending any panicky messages to the nation by racing south to Jerusalem.
Conjecture erupted within minutes of the first reports on Sharon?s condition hit the airwaves at about 8pm Israel time.
Individuals wondered what effect Sharon?s collapse would have on his new Kadima Party which has been far ahead in the polls as Israel heads towards elections next March.
Asked what Israeli commentators were saying about the developments, CNN reporter John Vause said the wide view in Israel was that Kadima was a party formed around a single man.
?If Sharon is not part of Kadima the thinking is that Kadima will simply collapse without him,? Vause continued.
Asked what this would mean for the elections, Vause aired his view that without Sharon and Kadima the electorate would have to choose between the Labor Party led by Peretz and the Likud Party led by Binyamin Netanyahu.
The Likud will be holding primaries this week to choose its new leader.
From Vause?s perspective, it would be bad news for Israel if Sharon were incapacitated.
?The health of this man is very much the health of this country, politically,? he said.