It was a regularly scheduled research trip to the Middle East.
Little did University of Kansas professors Deborah Gerner and Phil Schrodt know they would find themselves in a unique position to observe the historic departure of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon from the political scene.
Speaking by phone from her hotel in the West Bank Palestinian town of Ramallah, Gerner described a region reeling from events and facing an uncertain future. Sharon, prime minister since 2001 and leader of the new centrist Kadima party, had a massive stroke last week.
“The biggest issue of course is: What happens with his political party?” Gerner said. “The question is: Is the Kadima Sharon or does it have a life of its own? There is no agreement now. At the moment, the whole area is so shocked.”
Gerner and her husband, Schrodt, have been in the Middle East since Dec. 21. They attended an international conference on creative nonviolence in Bethlehem. They also are doing research for a project, funded by the National Science Foundation, examining the relationship between repression and dissent in several Middle Eastern countries.
Gerner said the trip will help keep her current on Middle East politics, a subject she teaches at the University of Kansas.
The journey has taken them to Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Gaza, visiting shops, restaurants, and non-governmental organizations. They’ve met with a variety of residents and read the local newspapers.
