Press release Gaza unilateral Evacuation
It is very disturbing to read from one side, that Sharon is trying to resolve the problem with the Palestinians by convincing the President of the United States that a unilateral evacuation of the Gaza strip could advance the solution of the problem, and from the oder side, that the Palestinians, with or without Arafat, do not understand that this war has to stop and that they should consider these evacuations as a good will gesture of the Israelis. With all of Sharon's good intentions, this action will provoke some kind of movement. From the other side and according to Sharon this move is good for the security of the State of Israel, but there are a few questions, facts, and factors, which have to be asked and considered in this forced evacuation, if the Israelis want to have a good relationship with their neighbor.
This will create a precedent for all the Arab neighbours that Israel can be attacted and if they lose the war the israelis will surrender the territories like the one we have seen in Lebanon. Facts: the settlement population is partly composed of people who were one time evacuated from the Yamit settlement, in the Sinai desert when Egypt made a peace agreement with Israel. The governement of Israel should have a good backing from the people of Israel and in particular from the settlers themselves. There are third generation settlers where children and grand children are born in those Gazean settlements, and many of them died and are buried in these settlements.
They are many elderly and youths who are living in the settlements. These so called settlers had not volunteered to come to the Gaza strip if the consecutive governements had not invited them to settle this land, by enticing them with all king of perks. The Sharon governement, as much as its intentions are for the security of Israel, should not act against the democratic process and the will of the people, after all many have lost members of their families to defend Israel. I don't understand why the goverment of Israel does not agree to make a referendum and let the people of Israel speak their minds and why the United States is not supporting the democratic process in this case, while they always proclaim that they support the advancement of the democratic process everywhere in the world.
Another aspect that neither the news nor the government are talking about: If this self-imposed unilateral evacuation succeeds, what impact will it have on the population of Gaza, be it Palestinian, or Israeli, and in general, on those who live now in the settlements in the Gaza Strip, on those who live in the settlements in the West Bank, and on those who are living in the Golan Heights etc.? In my view the impact is devastating for all the people of Israel, civilian and military. It brings disappointment, despair, and for some it bring a feeling of guilt, and can create trouble in their family structure. It creates emotional and behavioral problems among the young settler generations. Many of the settlers could be psychologically sick for a generation. A forced move can create divorces amoung parents and can provoke anger, shame, sadness, distress, and feeling of frustration, of powerlesness and injustice. Such a population becomes a seed of unhappy citizens and a seed for future conflicts.
It is not my intention to influence the outcome of this political dilemma, but to bring these facts to the attention of the people of Israel, of the US and of Europe, and particularly to that of the Jewish people who are convinced that this solution would be in Israel's best interest. Emile Tubiana
Now November 24, 2007,
Almost three years later, we can evaluate the results of the forced evacuation.
The uprooted settelers are still not resettled, ,any of them do not have a permanent home.
The Palestians have been chased away by Hamas with the power of weapons. The Hamas has succeded to kill, wound, and uproot their brothers and has converted those who stayed in Gaza to become Hamas members.
Since then, Israel has not stopped seeing rockets being launched every day by the Hamas, on Israel's towns and villages.
I believe that a few days before the Annapolis conference, these facts speak for themselves.
Are the Palestinians ready for a peace move or should Israel expect another Gaza in the West Bank, but this time with Russian weaponry which Israel just authorized?
Integration is just an utopian dream, because to integrate one most be willing to do so by giving and taking, to possess something called CARE for their own and the well being of thir neighboors.
A bomb in a school bus is not the way.
Hamas are so fond of carpets and bombs, should them be granted their wish by giving them a carpet bombing for free in Gaza? then, the gangrene will not spread anymore.
Georg