and unfortunately it may have worked. Likud voters have rejected Sharon's plan for a Gaza withdrawal by a wider than expected margin, probably due to the voters' reaction to the slaughter of the Israeli woman and her daughters.

Palestinian extremists know that terrorism works. Sharon wouldn't be prime minister were it not for the Israeli public's hardened attitude due to the incessant acts of terror. And unlike the Al Queda attacks in Spain, Palestinian extremists strive not to destroy the Sharon government but to sustain and provoke it - and to always have it as a ready excuse for their own failures. It would be so much wiser for Israel to enact the Barak plan of 2000, unilaterally if necessary. Just pull out of all the Gaza and nearly all of the West Bank, seal the borders, and wish the Palestinians good luck. And if they have any complaints about security, jobs, roads, schools, or the weekly garbage collection, go see your uncle Yasser or your local PA representative. They're the ones in charge now and responsible to get things done.