What is this Withdrawal for?

by Steven Shamrak.

In order to achieve any goal it is necessary to have one in the first place! Any minute act in our life is preceded by intention in order to realize a goal. What is the goal of the withdrawal from Gaza? It would be reasonable to assume that the objective is Peace! But we have not heard of any negotiations with Palestinian Authorities. There is not even a pledge of a Hudna, Arab’s promise of tactical ceasefire.

Since the withdrawal plan was announced we have witnessed the escalation of demands made by the PA and an increase of terror acts. We are led to believe that the evacuation of 8,500 Jews from Gaza will ‘reduce’ Arab terrorism, will save money and Jewish lives. Let’s examine these justifications closely:

1. Withdrawal will reduce terror acts committed by Arab Palestinians. – Unfortunately, most reputable political, intelligence and military experts and analysts, including the Israeli government ones from Shin Beth and IDF, predict the increase of terrorism and anarchy in Gaza after withdrawal.

2. It will save Jewish lives. – The uncontrollable supply of weapons through the border with Egypt and flow of deadly cargo through the proposed Gaza port will bring a more deadly and sophisticated arsenal into the hands of Arab terrorists. There will be rocket-propelled grenades, artillery, Katushas and high-grade explosives for suicide belts.

3. It will save money. – Israel is already wasting millions on additional security and construction of new security roads. Just new fence upgrades will cost up to $220 million dollars. Plus: compensation to those who have been stripped of their property and businesses; the loss of revenue from border taxes; the loss of $100 million dollars generated by economy of 21 Jewish communities.

What are the negative issues that the withdrawal brings?

1. The withdrawal will create the precedent of an ethnic cleansing of Jews by Jews and abandonment of Jewish ancestral land.

2. It is the public relations disaster which creates the shocking image of Israel.

3. It has been already undermining Jewish national unity.

4. It is encouraging the enemies of the Jewish people, not only Arabs, to persist with their anti-Israel campaign, aiming for the destruction or weakening of the Jewish state.

5. It is possible that the deportation of Jews from Gaza contradicts the Fourth Geneva convention and can be qualified as the crime against humanity.

6. Deployment of the Egyptian army at the border with Gaza puts in danger the demilitarisation of Sinai agreed in Camp David.

History teaches us that when Jews give something up it is almost impossible to get it back! It took us 2,000 years to come back to Palestine. But still we are not allowed to be in charge of our land!

Some are trying to justify withdrawal by saying that it is the first step toward the two states on one land solution. But even they realize the impossibility of the idea of life next to Arabs without checkpoints.

Let us be generous and assume that it will work. It does not explain the questions: Why is it necessary to transfer Jews from “Arab controlled” land? At the same time, why should Arabs remain on “Jewish controlled land”? The withdrawal contradicts and undermines the idyllic picture of happy co-existence of two nations - Arabs and Jews – who are living in harmony and love, next to each other!

I do want peace in Israel, but with all my vivid imagination I am not able to visualise it while Arab hate dwells inside the Jewish state. By repeating the same acts one will get the same results. Why would the same misguided and impotent plans bring peace to Israel? The question still remains: What are we sacrificing the Jewish national dream, Jewish unity and Jewish lives for?