As Israel withdraws, Gaza burns

[Brightmore]

As Israel withdraws, Gaza burns
The Star
Lara Sukhtian
September 12, 2005

Thousands of jubilant Palestinians poured in to abandoned Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip on Monday, setting fire to empty synagogues and shooting into the air.

The chaos came as the last Israeli soldier left, completing Israel's exit from the territory after 38 years of occupation.

Palestinian police in the settlements stood by helplessly as gunmen raised the flags of militant groups and crowds smashed what was left in the ruins or walked off with doors, window frames, toilets and scrap metal.

Initial plans by police to bar crowds for the first few hours quickly disintegrated, illustrating the weakness of Palestinian security forces and fuelling concerns about chaos after Israel's exit.

Full story

[Meeker Morgan]

1. About those empty synagogues

Meeting houses, not ancient holy places.

They were de-commissioned before being abandoned, that is stripped of all religious artefacts. So there is nothing to desecrate.

An abandoned yeshiva was also burned. A yeshiva is a school.

So the Palestinians destroyed a bunch of useful buildings that were left to them.

Let's see how they do with the greenhouses which were also left intact. Hydroponic farming was the ex-settlers' main industry.

Will the Palestinians destroy a potential major source of income and food?

[Andromeda]

3. If they let their hate for Israel...

overcome all their common sense, they will destroy a potential source of income.

I really don't feel too optimistic right now the way things are going.

edited for punctuation

[barb162]

4. read in BBC today they pulled the tarps off the greenhouses

see post 5 for story

[Behind the Aegis]

2. And this is the biggest fear...

"illustrating the weakness of Palestinian security forces and fuelling concerns about chaos after Israel's exit."

[barb162]

5. Chaos continues in the Gaza Strip

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4240616.stm


Chaos continues in the Gaza Strip

In several abandoned settlements, Palestinian police failed to stop big crowds from taking building materials and equipment left by the Israelis.


snip


In a number of the former Jewish settlements, Palestinian police tried in vain to expel hundreds of scavengers.

People were seen ripping out irrigations hoses and taking the tarpaulin covering of greenhouses.


snip

Mr Qurei urged Palestinians to stop looting and start rebuilding the abandoned settlements.

snip


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