Well, this may be silly, but I just want to publicly declare somewhere my views on Israel’s disengagement from Gaza.
I support the disengagement, and I feel that it is the correct move for Israel at this time. I am sad that people must be removed from their homes, but I feel that it is unfortunately necessary.
I don’t have the time to fully explain my position right now, but I hope to do so soon in a follow-up post.
-Avi
Hey Av,
Sorry but I have GOT to dis agree with you on this one. Take a look at this article I copied from the JP a few days ago.
Less than three days after he urged Palestinians to refrain from excessive celebrations over the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Friday presided over a huge celebration in Gaza City where he declared: “Today we are celebrating the liberation of Gaza and the northern West Bank; tomorrow we will celebrate the liberation of Jerusalem.”
PA Civil Affairs Minister Muhammed Dahlan, who appeared next to Abbas, told the crowd that the Palestinians were celebrating “the day of victory and the beginning of a new era that was achieved with the blood of our martyrs.”
Hamas and Islamic Jihad also held separate celebrations in the Gaza Strip, where leaders of the two groups announced that the fight against Israel would continue even after the “escape of the Zionist enemy” from the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank. They also declared that their groups would not abandon their weapons after the disengagement and would not join the PA security forces.
Local reporters were invited on Friday to watch more than 1,000 Hamas gunmen in military fatigue and armed with AK-47 rifles and RPG rocket-propelled grenades stage a mock attack on an Israeli settlement. It was the biggest show of strength by Hamas’s armed wing in years.
At another Hamas rally in Jabalya refugee camp, thousands of Palestinians attended a “graduation ceremony” for new recruits belonging to the movement’s armed wing, Izzaddin Kassam.
Addressing the rally, which was held in a football stadium, Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar said: “This [Hamas] army will continue to defend the Palestinian people. As long as one inch of our land remains under occupation, these weapons will remain in the hands of the Hamas soldiers. These young men will continue to train others until all Palestinians are turned into fighters so that we could liberate Palestine from the [Jordan] river to the sea.”
Said Siam, a senior Hamas leader, warned that his movement would continue to launch attacks against Israel unless it relinquished control over all the border crossings into the Gaza Strip.
“The area in which Israel will remain will be like the Shaaba farms in south Lebanon,” he said. “If Israeli soldiers remain on the border passages, we will see their presence as a continuance of the occupation. Like in Shaaba, we will continue to work to liberate the areas in which the Israelis remain.”
Ismail Haniyeh, another top Hamas leader, hailed the pullout as an “achievement for the resistance and the fruit of sacrifices made by the Palestinian people.” He added: “This is a first step toward liberating all our lands, first and foremost Jerusalem. This won’t be the first and last step as [Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon wants.”
Haniyeh denied that Hamas was trying to overthrow or undermine the PA. “Hamas is not an authority within an authority,” he said. “We are not competing with the Palestinian Authority and no one is above the law.”
Under the banner, “The Beginning of the Victory Celebrations,” Islamic Jihad also organized a paramilitary march of its own in the northern Gaza Strip. Islamic Jihad leader Muhammed al-Hindi told his supporters that the group viewed the Israeli withdrawal as a victory for the Palestinian “resistance.”
“The withdrawal was brought about by the resistance and ourfighters and thanks to the steadfastness of our people,” he declared. “This is a victory not only for Islamic Jihad and the rockets, but for all the resistance groups here. The withdrawal is a national day that should be celebrated by all factions.”
Thanks for the post Yus. I’m afraid I still don’t have time for a full explanation, but I will at least try to respond to the article.
It has always been inevitable that people would spin the disengagement this way. In fact, all politicians and political groups will always spin situational developments in the light that is the most advantageous for them. And while I don’t deny that the Arab perception of Israel’s actions is important, I believe that it doesn’t change actual facts on the ground. I perceive the disengagement as a military move, a tactical action to strengthen the Israeli military position. I think that no matter how much the Palestinian Arabs celebrate and bluster, this action clarifies the lines of engagement between Israel and the PA, and challenges the PA to take responsibility for terrorist actions launched from its territory – and I hope that the rest of the world will start holding the PA to that responsibility.
Bottom line, while I acknowledge the risk inherent in the Palestinian Arab perception of the disengagement, I believe that the disengagement will ultimately enhance the security of Israel. And I hope that I’m right.
maybe if the world gets this message, they will finally realise that the leaders of the PA need to be replaced with humans before any more discussions can occur……
Jason, I don’t know about that. This may be naive, but I think we’re going to have to live with the leaders that are in place now, instead of waiting/hoping for replacement/improvement in that sector. There’s been too much waiting/hoping in general.