Gaza Pullout: Tactical Defeat, Strategic Victory

Fascinating article in The Nation this week. It states:

Once the media circus is over, Israel's melodramatic withdrawal from the Gaza Strip should be judged by how it improves Palestinian lives and the chances of a just and peaceful resolution of the conflict.

Even more interesting:

As a general, Sharon understands that in war one must at times cede tactically in order to win strategically. Accordingly, and "in the absence of a Palestinian peace partner," Israel will disengage from Gaza in order to impose its vision on the ten-times-larger West Bank and Jerusalem: the crown jewels of the occupation.

I'm not an expert on the Middle East, but I don't see the Gaza withdrawal as anything that will speed up the peace process. If anything, it gives Sharon more room to manuever while still looking good in the international community. How many pictures have we seen on CNN of Israeli soldiers going to door to door asking settlers to leave? The article is a pretty cynical view written by a Palestinian, but I think it is important to at least ask the questions posed in the article and to watch carefully.