Evacuation of Settlers Haunts Israeli Right .

[Israeli]

Summary :

While diplomatic negotiations are again underway in Washington, the Israeli right vows never to repeat the mistake of withdrawing from the Gaza Strip.

Original Title:
The Gush Katif Precedent
Author: Daniel Ben Simon

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/07/evacuation-settlers-haunting-israeli-right.html#ixzz2b4w1avKR

This year, as in previous years, commemoration rallies, events and prayers were held in memory of that day in August 2005 when the IDF uprooted 8,000 people from their homes in the 21 settlements of Gush Katif.

Although Israel is a young country, memorial days have become an intrinsic part of the Israeli ethos. Some sociologists even go as far as to argue that the state has become addicted to the commemoration of historic events, in particular those involving a tragic memory. Recently, the memorial day commemorating the uprooting of Jews from the Gaza Strip was added to the list.

While most Israelis have adopted the term “disengagement,” coined by former prime minister Ariel Sharon to describe the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the evacuees themselves and others who opposed the evacuation still consider it an “expulsion” and “uprooting.” The evacuees and their sympathizers are now marking the eighth anniversary of the evacuation of the Jewish settlement in Gaza. In virtually every gathering and from every possible podium of the religious Zionist community, the “tragedy” brought on those settlers by the state of Israel is lamented over and over again.

(snip)

Eight years later, it seems that the memory is growing ever more poignant. Now that the talks between Israel and the Palestinians have been resumed, the right-wing parties are threatening to quit the coalition headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu so as to forestall a re-enactment of the “Gush Katif precedent,” as their leaders put it. The possibility that settlers may be once again uprooted from their homes haunts right-wing activists.

Rabbis and settler leaders have vowed that Gush Katif will not be re-enacted, that no such evacuation will ever happen again. This time around, there will be no dialogue with the government, the way it was in the previous evacuation, and there will be no surrender, either. They feel that had they presented a firm front in opposition to the government that time, they could have foiled the plan.

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Who on here truly believes the diplomatic negotiations underway in Washington stands a hope in hell ????

[Igel]

1. Keep an open mind. They may turn out good in the end.

But it's easy to understand the Israeli right's attitude.

They appear to have gotten little for the concession. The Palestinians mostly destroyed what was left behind--sometimes because of lack of ownership and guards, sometimes out of spite, sometimes because "the houses were unsuitable".

In some cases the settlements dated back to the 1920s, on land that had been purchased, then "nationalized" by some Arab government, then purchased again ... and in one case, purchased a third time. No matter. It was suddenly "always Palestinian".

In the end, the net effect was humiliation for the Israelis in Arab eyes. This in an area where things like "honor" mean something.

And it led to Operation Cast Lead. That points out one of the problems with the talks going on now: Hamas and Islamic Jihad (along with other small Pal. groups).

[delrem]

4. "concession"??? wtf alternate reality are you posting from?

[Israeli]

5. maybe he didnt read the whole article ....

Six billion shekels (more than $1.5 billion) has been spent by the state of Israel since 2005 to rehabilitate the evacuees. Some of the families were awarded a record compensation of more than $1 million for the agricultural land they owned, whereas most of the families got just over half a million each.

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/07/evacuation-settlers-haunting-israeli-right.html#ixzz2bCMsrlxH

[azurnoir]

7. so the former Gaza (Gush Katif) settlers can't get their lives together even after

being given $500,000 to $1,000,000 to each family, and in their own country?

[shaayecanaan]

2. Probably not...

I don't think the current round of negotiations will go anywhere.

I do not think that in the short term, there is any benefit to Israel from reaching an agreement with the Palestinians.

The current arrangement allows Israel to access the West Bank essentially as it pleases. The fact that Israeli Air Force planes can use West Bank air space gives them greater strategic depth. Militarily, the status quo allows Israel full freedom to move right up to the border with Jordan.

The Palestinian Authority effectively does the heavy lifting of the occupation on Israel's behalf. If Israel themselves were forced to police Area A it would be a serious drain on them, and the occasional soldier would inevitably die. As a bonus, the expenses of the Palestinian Authority are largely met by the United States and Europe. Abbas has mumbled about dissolving the PA and throwing the whole mess back in Israel's lap, but that would mean a lot of pain for the Palestinians.

Currently, the PA delivers peace and security in the West Bank for Israel. Israel isn't particularly interested in trading land for peace when it already has the peace.

In the long term, the minority Muslim populations in Europe will start organising more effectively, and will essentially make support for the Israeli occupation politically untenable, the same way that support for apartheid became untenable in the seventies and eighties in the United States. Israel will then face the prospect of being wedged between Europe and Arabia, and being boycotted by both.

Additionally, support for Israel in the US may start to wane eventually. Birth rates are high amongst orthodox Jews in the US, and these people tend to be supportive of Israel, but they tend to participate in mainstream politics much less. Secular Jews tend to be wealthy and politically conscious, but are becoming less engaged with Israel, and also seem to be marrying out at a fairly high rate.

To a certain extent, this mirrors the experience of Armenians in the US. The Armenian Genocide was very prominent in the US in the twenties and thirties, and Armenians themselves lobbied very prominently in favour of Armenian interests and recognition of the genocide. But these days even young Armenians themselves could barely care less about it - Kim Kardashian comes to mind.

[Israeli]

6. neither do I shaayecanaan....

in responce to :

I don't think the current round of negotiations will go anywhere.

not under this Gov , it doesnt stand a chance .

[Israeli]

3. and here is Gush Shalom's answer to ....

Rabbis and settler leaders have vowed that Gush Katif will not be re-enacted, that no such evacuation will ever happen again. This time around, there will be no dialogue with the government, the way it was in the previous evacuation, and there will be no surrender, either. They feel that had they presented a firm front in opposition to the government that time, they could have foiled the plan.

@

http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/en/channels/avnery/1375385593/

[azurnoir]

8. IMO the only thing important about the Peace ® to the Israeli government

is that it is the Palestinians who are blamed for the eventual failure of these 'talks' and that the EU backs off regarding the settlements (the real reason Bibi and Co agreed to talks IMO)