Naturally, Ariel Sharon’s intentions to “give away the farm” are more than enough incentive for Hosni Mubarak to throw his two cents into Sharon’s corner.

BARCELONA - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is the only Israeli politician capable of reaching peace with the Palestinians, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said in an interview published here yesterday.

Mubarak’s comments come days after Sharon quit the Likud party, saying he could not push for peace with the Palestinians while wasting time battling far-right rivals.

“Sharon, of all the Israeli politicians, is the only one capable of achieving peace with the Palestinians,” Mubarak said in an interview with Spain’s ABC newspaper. “He has the ability to take difficult decisions, commit to what he says and carry it out.”

Mubarak pointed to Sharon’s success in pushing through Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip despite opposition from settlers and from within Likud.

Sure, real success as illustrated here and here {Hat Tip, Israpundit}. Oh, and remember this?

At any rate, the fact that Sharon has apparently committed himself to a course of capitulation that would do France proud would naturally make him the favorite of any Arab leader. Here is, after all, an Israeli leader who is willing to do for his overt and covert neighboring enemies what they themselves have been unable to accomplish in fifty seven years, that is, get some momentum going on the unravelling of the Jewish state — once a downhill roll commences, it’s difficult if not impossible to stop — and the handing over of what were once retained by Israel as buffer zones against repeat invasions by hostile neighbors to a murderous enemy whose ultimate goal is the total annihilation of Israel.

Middle East Newsline (MENL) reports in the name of “political sources” that Sharon has begun briefing senior U.S. officials of his intention to withdraw unilaterally from more than 95% of Judea and Samaria. Sharon is hoping to be elected Prime Minister for a third time - this time not in the Likud, however, but as head of his new Kadima Party.

One of the most valuable “acquisitions” of the Kadima Party, MK Chaim Ramon, formerly of Labor, said openly last week that Sharon will unilaterally withdraw to final borders in Judea and Samaria if Palestinian terror continues. IMRA reported that Ramon said this on a live interview on Channel 10’s “London and Kirschenbaum” news program just hours after he announced his decision to join Sharon’s Kadima.

Mar Sharon and his cronies are determined, it would seem, to add a geographic definition to the term downsizing.