Revolt on the Front Lines

By Matt Rees, Aharon Klein and Jamil Hamad

Israel's army chief of staff, Lieut. General Moshe Yaalon, exposed a rift between military leaders and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon last week when he criticized Sharon's policy of keeping a stranglehold on Palestinian towns to curtail attacks by Palestinian radicals. Yaalon told columnists from three newspapers that the Israeli government's "tactical decisions" were at odds with its "strategic interests." Military officials say Yaalon fears current policies will exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territories, fuel popular rage and so provoke more attacks on his soldiers. Yaalon blames Sharon's hard-line policies for contributing to the downfall of Mahmoud Abbas, who became the Palestinian Prime Minister in April, and offered hope for the peace talks, but resigned four months later.

Sharon, an unapologetic and often uncompromising hawk, was furious with Yaalon for his statements. Sharon's office initially demanded a retraction, then backed off, realizing that taking on the army--Israel's most popular institution--probably wasn't a good idea. Still, Yaalon's critique could subtly alter the dynamic in the region.

Abbas resigned in frustration after Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat refused to relinquish control of all 12 Palestinian security services, sabotaging the Prime Minister's plans to crack down on terrorism. But the man Arafat is expected to name this week as the new Prime Minister, Ahmed Qurie, might get off to a better start. Senior Palestinian security officials tell TIME Qurie will demand full control of all 12 Palestinian security services. Under pressure from Egypt and the U.S., Arafat just might cede it, officials close to Qurie believe. If that happens, Sharon could be forced to reconsider Yaalon's unsolicited advice. --By Matt Rees, Aharon Klein and Jamil Hamad