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August 21, 2005

More On The "Disengagement"

The Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip continues, but not without its problems as evidenced by the fierce resistance of anti-disengagement "activists" in Kfar Darom and elsewhere. As much as I believe that this entire evacuation is a colossal error of judgement on Israel's part and personally side completely with the settlers who are losing their homes, I don't for a second condone the actions of the resisters in Kfar Darom; the soldiers and police they assaulted in what they had to know was ultimately a futile attempt at avoiding eviction weren't the enemy, they were civil and military personnel doing their jobs, as dubious as the nature of the assignment may have been. As I opined in a previous post, such behavior only serves to provide the real enemy with entertainment while demonstrating a divided Jewish population(remember the phrase, "divide and conquer?"). The arson episodes were no better than the terrorism of Hamas, and one would have thought well beneath the dignity of anyone raised in the traditions of Jewish belief. Those responsible should be prosecuted as criminals, not given any leeway due to enheightened passions.

Sunday's evacuations include the last three Gush Katif settlements, during which the IDF anticipates more resistance.

With laundered clothes hanging to dry outside some of the homes and the sprinklers watering the manicured, neatly-cut grass, anti-disengagement activists piled up haystacks, wooden planks, garbage cans and a burnt-out car at the entrance to the settlement, which they planned to light up in an almost festive bonfire once the security forces arrive and try to enter the community.

Michael Matza has a column in Jewish World Review about a settler family's last Sabbath in Gaza.

While Mahmoud Abbas{Abu Mazen} works to shore up the PA's (his) authority in the Gaza Strip, Hamas assures one and all that pullout or not, nothing has changed.

But in a new challenge to Abbas, dozens of Hamas gunmen held a press conference in one of the main squares of Gaza City on Saturday, where they announced that they would continue to launch terror attacks on Israel even after the disengagement. PA policemen who arrived at the scene did not intervene.

"This retreat does not mean the end of our battle, but it is the beginning," said one of the Hamas gunmen, who identified himself as Abu Obaidah. "Our battle with the enemy is long and will continue."

And the greatest government blunder in the history of the State of Israel continues....

Posted by Seth at August 21, 2005 07:03 AM