Behind the Evacuation of Israeli Settlers in Gaza

Gaza Strip. On December 17, 2004 the Israeli Occupation forces invaded Khan Yunis, killed 10 Palestinians, injured 40 more—including 18 children and destroyed at least 40 homes.

Behind the Evacuation of Israeli Settlers in Gaza
Since the war in June 1967, when Israel invaded the Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem and the West Bank, the Israeli government, with the military back-up of its Army, has successfully promoted the settlement of Israeli Jews on Palestinian land. Within the last 15 years the number of settlers has grown to 400,000. Invariably these settlers—many of whom are soldiers-- live in fortified towns and cities, located strategically to slice Palestinian territory into isolated Bantustans.

This settlement violates UN resolutions, various Peace Plans, international public opinion and a significant sector of public opinion inside Israel. For years, the settlement of Gaza has shown the ugliest face of occupation. In Gaza 8600 Israeli settlers – surrounded by 1.3 million Palestinians-- control prime agricultural land, the main aquifers, most of the coastline and the Egypt/Gaza border.

While settlers enjoy seaside villas and a population density of 123 people per square kilometer, Palestinians endure the squalor of refugee camps and a density of 4362 people per square kilometer. (Source: Israel Central Bureau of Statistics). The Israeli army has met Palestinian resistance with overwhelming military force. Between September 2000 and early July 2005, Israeli security forces have killed 3280 Palestinians, including 764 children. During that same period 964 Israelis, including 115 children were killed by Palestinians. (Source: www.btselem.org) From September 2000 to September 2004 Israeli forces destroyed 2370 housing units in Gaza alone, leaving 22,800 Palestinians homeless. (Source UNRWA quoted in www.btselem.org) It has become untenable for the Israeli army to continue providing protection for the settlers to maintain this horrific injustice.

Yet, Israel will retain control over Gaza by maintaining the military force and prerogative to enter Gaza at will, and by controlling Gaza’s airspace, sea shore and borders. Therefore, although Israel would like to shift “blame” for Gaza’s problems to the victims of Israeli aggression, in fact, Israel is not absolved from the responsibilities of an occupying power.

Behind the hype about evacuation, is the calculation that in exchange for appearing to leave Gaza, international pressure on Israel to withdraw from the West Bank will lighten up.

In sum, the Israeli government is not taking a step towards peace by evacuating settlers from Gaza. Rather, this movement aims to mask Israel’s plan to continue to deny Palestinians’ right to self determination by maintaining the encirclement of Gaza and transforming it into a congested open-air concentration camp. At the same time, in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, confiscation of Palestinian land, settlement and the strangulation of economic and social life by the Wall and checkpoints all escalate.

[From Dateline: Occupied Palestine, An Occasional Newsletter from the Justice in Palestine Coalition, August 2005, vol.1 #1. Thanks to Jaime Cader for forwarding. The Justice in Palestine Coalition recommends the following actions: Get Involved. Join the movement to end all aid to Israel; Divest from all Israeli corporations and American corporations with subsidiaries operating within Israel; Boycott of all Israeli products, and support the Right of Return for all Palestinian refugees. End the occupation of Palestine. Support the right of self determination of Palestinian people.]