I wonder why there hasn’t been more discussion of Ariel Sharon’s incredible decision to leave the Likud Party and form a new centrist party. A day-after update is here.

A case can be made that Sharon should have won the Nobel Peace Prize this year. He certainly was more deserving than ElBaradei and the IAEA. And, for what it’s worth, he was my pick.

But this latest move could permanently restructure Israeli politics, with centrist consensus replacing the current model of alternating two-party dominance backed by fringe-party extremism in the Knesset.

Which means that it could also contribute to a lasting peace settlement between Israel and the Palestinians. For which Sharon would deserve much of the credit.