WS

ISH NE

Can Natan Sharansky

keep Israel's government

EW
IT J

afloat and still be

TRO

a bridge to

DE
E
TH

American Jews?

50

NEIL RUBIN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

NI

atan Sharansky's seemingly omnipresent smile evaporates like

the vapor of breath on a winter Moscow street. "Definitely these

11 months or year that I'm part of the political establishment is

not the most enjoyable year in my life," he says.

Many American Jews need no reminder that Mr. Sharansky, the former

Soviet dissident, has a number of least enjoyable years to choose from.

He says they pale in comparison with the year he has just completed as a

key player in the bruising world of Israeli politics.