Sharon unchanged as Palestinians make progress
The hospital caring for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said early today that there was no change in his condition overnight, and doctors planned to bring him out of a medically-induced coma to begin assessing the damage caused by his massive stroke five days earlier.
Doctors cautioned that it was unlikely Sharon could recover enough to return to his post.
“There is no change in the prime minister’s condition, which is still critical but stable,” the statement said. ”This morning there will be consultation among the doctors treating him, … and in the event there is no change in the situation, the process of reducing his sedation will begin.”
The process of weaning Sharon away from the anaesthetics was expected to take six to eight hours, and experts said doctors should have a good idea of the extent of the damage by the end of the day.
Hospital spokeswoman Yael Bossem-Levy would not disclose the timetable for the consultations or procedures set for Monday.
Meanwhile, Jerusalem police said today that politicians running in January 25 Palestinian parliamentary elections would be allowed to campaign in Jerusalem, reversing a previous Israeli ban on Palestinian political activity in the city which both sides claim for their capital.
Senior Palestinian politician Hatem Abdel Khader saw the decision on campaigning as an indication Israel would permit east Jerusalem residents to participate in the voting, a Palestinian demand.
“They informed me that there is a political decision to allow us as candidates in the upcoming election to conduct our election campaign in Jerusalem,” he said. “I consider this to be a progress in the Israeli position.”
Jerusalem police spokesman Shmuel Ben-Ruby said: “We have received permission from the government to allow the Palestinians to campaign in Jerusalem,” adding that the police and Palestinians would meet later Monday to discuss procedures.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s president said his government would forge diplomatic ties with Israel if the Palestinians can form a state of their own.
“If a Palestinian state is recognised, we will recognise Israel, we will have relations with Israel. We will have trade with Israel,” Hamid Karzai said yesterday.
“Israelis are people like we are,” he said. “If I have the right to live, and have a home, and have a country, Israel has the right to live and have a country. The only question here is Palestine, because we want the Palestinians to have a home and have a country.”
The president said he hoped Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon would recover from the debilitating stroke he suffered last week.
“May God give him a longer life,” he said.
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