Hope and rage in Gaza

[papau]

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-gaza19aug19,0,7166724.story?track=tottext

EDITORIALS
Hope and rage in Gaza

August 19, 2005

THE ISRAELI ARMY'S REMOVAL of Jewish settlers from Gaza on Thursday produced scenes of pure emotion: families weeping at the forced abandonment of their homes of 20 years, Palestinians cheering at recovery of their occupied land. So far, security forces have done a good job in keeping protests and celebrations largely nonviolent. If the pattern holds, it can be a template for Israeli withdrawal from more West Bank settlements, and a renewed opportunity for Palestinian self-government.

Some Israeli soldiers wept when removing settlers, but they followed the orders of their democratically elected government, reflecting their training and discipline, and Israel's commitment to the rule of law. Increasing numbers of soldiers are observant Jews; Israel's concern over whether they would follow eviction orders led some to be replaced by more secular soldiers. Police and soldiers negotiated with settlers and persuaded many to leave without even passive resistance. The bigger problem came from protesters living outside Gaza who slipped past blockades in recent weeks and took shelter in homes and, on Thursday, in synagogues in Kfar Darom and Neve Dekalim. They spit on and, in one case, poured acid on soldiers before being frog-marched out.

Thousands of Israeli troops carried out the evacuation. The army has been guarding the 8,500 settlers living among 1.3 million Palestinians in Gaza on land that Israel seized from Egypt in the 1967 war. The soldiers will leave in coming weeks, settlers' homes will be demolished, and Israel will be spared having so many guard so few at such high cost.

The withdrawal will also enable Israel to remain Jewish and democratic. With the rapid population growth in the occupied territories and among Israeli Arabs, Israeli leaders have long dreaded the prospect that a Jewish minority controlling the West Bank, Gaza and Israel proper would rule an Arab majority. In that case, Israel could be forced to decide whether to remain either a Jewish state or a democracy.
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