Rhetoric vs. facts

To the surprise of many, Ariel Sharon recently spoke out against the occupation. He doesn't have any plans on pulling back to the Green Line, however.

What he really meant, by his own admission, was that it was "undesirable" to continue "to rule over a Palestinian population." Well, duh. It's hard work crushing people into the ground with a military occupation. That's why Sharon wants to "transfer" the Palestinians out of Israel and into Jordan; he wants to lighten Israel's burden.

Rhetoric like this might be seen by some as a step forward, but, as Amira Hass notes, it doesn't do much to counter or rectify the "facts on the ground."