I am glad to see that a pardon seems on the cards for people convicted of dissidence charges arising from protests against the 2005 disengagement from Gaza. Of course they should be pardoned. No question.
I thought the disengagement was a mistake at the time. Watching those people dragged out of their houses and synagogues was horrific. As I wrote last December, nothing that has happened since has made me feel it was anything other than a mistake. Can someone tell me a positive that came from all that unimaginable pain and upheaval?
I often wonder what Ariel Sharon – who ordered the disengagement – would make of what’s happened since. He has been in a coma for three years now. There is an interesting update on his case on Ynet News today.
Chas,
To your question: “…can someone tell me a positive that came from all that unimaginable pain and upheaval?…” I would say that without it (disengagement) we would NEVER have known the true nature of the enemies of the state of Isreal. I am not sure now if it was necessary then, but in retrospect of things passed, it was an act of faith that was required for Israel to make in order to show the world that it was very serious about a gradual peace and bridging the divide between Israel and the Palestinians.
Of course, now it is easy to believe that we should have known better. However, that’s why poeple learn from their mistakes and avoid making them again, thus you can think of it as a necessary blunder or an abheration of history. But I still beleive that the WORLD at large knows NOW THAN EVER BEFORE exactly what Israel had sacrificed for this elusive peace that keeps becoming like a mirage, by sheding light on who is trully against peace.
Althought I must admit I was a proponent of the pull out, and I was positively amazed by the sudden change in the politics of Ariel Sharon concerning the issue of settlements for which he was a true advocate when he started his political career away from his military one. It is a lesson learned the hard way, but there is no returning back to Gaza. We can only and STILL hope that Gaza’s people will find their state of mind to build their country in order to have their sense of peace and harmony. And that’s all we can hope for now….. as for the pain and suffering endured by the settlers, what other pain and suffering have the Jewsih people not experienced… a suffering for peace? ….. I understand and know full well that there is still no peace but WE GAVE IT A TRY. Was it worth it? I think yes …. and there is a lot more desert lands out there that await greening and community building than Gaza.
Thanks so much for your lengthy comment, Sammish. Really appreciated.
I see where your coming from, but I disagree on two points.
1) Sadly, I don’t feel the world at large has given Israel any credit for its sacrifice. Israel continues to be the bad guy in most of the world’s eyes and the disengagement did nothing to change that.
2) Regarding your final sentence, how many of the other desert lands have the historical and special connection to the Jewish people, history and religion as Gaza?
Chas:
I agree that Israel’s evac of Gaza alone didn’t make much difference to world opinion of Israel. However, I’d say that the reason Cast Lead didn’t meet with the same hue and cry as the response to Hezbollah in 2006 is the net result of evac from Gaza + 2006 attacks by Hamas and Hezbollah + IDA take-out of “suspcious site” in Syria last fall.
Chas,
I might be able to concede on the issue of whether there was an impact on public opinion regarding the Gaza disengagement. I still think during and after the Gaza’s operations, the European heads of states and the major European political parties have shown constant support of Israel’s action. And as Lynne suggested, the Israeli reaction was supported by the majority of Europeans (althought it was not voiced in the media) and the overwhelming North American public (U.S and Canada). One cannot rely of media propaganda wars to sway public opinion. As you recall there were countless protests on the streets of Europe, that’s not a measure of public opinion toward Israel. That’s only a visceral reactions of both fanatical and apologist Muslims. What one would expect and ?
I beleive that Israel now has a lot more credits up its sleeve (in diplomacy and willingness to move forwards) and tremendous respect (from non-muslims) for disengaging from Gaza and for which its Cast Lead operation was seen as just and necessary for its defense. As I have already mentioned, while the streets of Cairo were all up in arms in anger and usual anti-jewish propaganda, the major political personality were not that unhappy about Israel’s actions, in fact I might even call it a de facto support of Israeli politics.
As for your second point, it is hard for me to say. However, I still think that Hebron and Jerusalem have more historical significance than any piece of land in the Gaza.