Disengagement

We visited Sderot last week.  In order to understand first hand the issues that are facing this country, my program planned a visit which included speakers from Peace Now, and resettled settlers from Gush Katif. 

The trip started with a video and talk about the evacuation of Gaza in 2005.  The community looked like something out of the Truman Show.  Perfectly manicured lawns, modern buildings and homes, huge greenhouses, and children playing outside were the images that were presented.  They spoke about the lack of crime and the harmony that they lived in.  The farmers in the area brought in $100 million to the Israeli economy and many of them voted for Ariel Sharon because he promised never to evacuate them. 

Daily rockets fell in Gush Katif, but the people didn’t want to leave. 

57,000 IDF soldiers were trained for a year to evacuate 8,000 settlers.  Temporary army bases were set up in the area.  Bulldozers demolished all of the homes, but the public buildings and greenhouses were left by the Israelis to give the Palestinians an infrastructure to work with.  Those buildings were all destroyed by Palestinians a few hours after the evacuation was complete.

Today, they live in small temporary homes that they built on land between Ashkelon and Ashdod.  About 56 % of them are employed (higher then the average in Israel with is 54%) and few of them have built new homes.

According to the Peace Now representative, these people owe their lives to Ariel Sharon.  That their death was imminent and the evacuation was necessary.  The 8,000 Israelis living in the area with 1.5 million Arabs were consuming half of the water and 25% of the land. 

Sderot is now under the rocket attack that was once aimed at the settlement.  The population has decreased by about 5,000 and the economy is suffering.  Again, there are daily attacks on the city and the psychological damage it is causing to the residents, especially the children, is irreversible.

I heard about the disengagement in 2005, but never really understood the implications of the event.  The IDF, an army that is compulsory, had soldiers that had to evacuate their friends and family.  The images were difficult to see, but the action seems necessary, but did they really need 57,000 troops?  Was it worth it?  Look at Gaza today, a firing platform for terrorists.  What lessons do we take from this before pulling out of the Golan?  At the GA every politician talked about a two state solution; how will this work and how will it affect of the people who are relocated?  Lots to think about…