Arab world anxious over a Middle East without Sharon

[Behind the Aegis]

CAIRO - Many Arabs revile Ariel Sharon as a butcher and warmonger, yet his sudden absence from the Israeli helm yesterday spread a creeping fog of anxiety across the Middle East - concern that things probably won't get any better without him and could get a lot worse.

In the Gaza Strip and West Bank, Palestinians followed reports of Sharon's deteriorating health with a mix of apprehension and glee, with some officials saying they feared the Israeli prime minister's massive stroke could disrupt Palestinian parliamentary elections scheduled for January 25.

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said he was following Sharon's health crisis "with great worry," but that it would not derail Palestinian parliament elections.

"No doubt what happens to Sharon affects Israel first, but it will not affect our elections," Abbas said. "We look with great worry to what might happen if is harmed."

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