Gaza Strip History: From Samson to Fedayeen
Rabin Sees 15-20 Year Transition
Period for Jordanian Settlement
r
TEL AVIV (JTA) — Gen. but asserted that an interim
Itzhak Rabin, a candidate period of two or three dee-
for a ministerial post in the ades would have to pass be-
next cabinet, presented a fore a political settlement be-
plan for a peace settlement tween Israel and its neigh-
with Jordan Monday night bors became a real peace.
The former Israel ambas-
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
sador to the United States,
Friday, January 11, 1974-13 who was elected to the Knes-
set on the Labor Alignment
ticket, speaking at Beth So-
IF YOU TURN THE
kolow Journalists House,
•v•s•fir
said his plan called for the
return of inhabited areas of
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the West Bank to Jordanian
sovereignty but with an Is-
raeli military presence over-
looking a Jordanian civil ad-
ministration in those areas
for a 15-20 year interim.
Ailan Wineries, Detroit, Mich.
Rabin's plan states there
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will be no return to the pre-
June 1967 borders and Israel
will retain sovereignty over
some parts of the Judaea-Sa-
maria regions and all of the
Gaza Strip. He said Jerusa-
lem would remain united un-
der Israeli sovereignty but
with special arrangements
for religious interests.
Rabin said his plan would
allow for the resettlement of
Palestinian refugees, includ-
ing those in the Gaza Strip,
mainly in East Jordan but
also on the West Bank. He
estimated it would take 15.20
years to complete the refu-
gee resettlement, a period
coinciding with the continued
Israeli military presence.
Offering no plan for a set-
tlement with Egypt, said the
major problems in effecting
a separation of forces, now
under discussion between Is-
raeli and Egyptian military
negotiators in Geneva.
He said he doubted Egypt's
willingness to accept the
principle of non-belligerency
even after disengagement is
achieved. He claimed that
Cairo's aim is not to allow
the creation of a new status
quo and not to give up its
bridgehead on the East Bank
of the canal.
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Gaza Strip, a primary heard in Gaza. A Bet Din from the Strip. Nasser re-
issue at the Israel-Arab and a yeshiva were estab- quested the UN forces to
peace conference being held lished, and many important leave their observation posts.
in Geneva, is located on the rabbis made Gaza their One of Israel's major vie-
southern coastal plain of Is- home. The Jewish population tories of the Six-Day War
rael and is home of the city once again flourished, but was its reoccupation of the
of Gaza. It has played a the Arab disturbances' of Gaza Strip on June 6, 1967.
significant role in Israel's 1929 forced - the remaining Sinai Strip now has one of
the highest population densi-
history since the days of Jews to leave.
The Gaza Strip became a ties in the world. The immi-
Samson.
Encyclopedia Judaica re- separate administrative unit gration of Arab refugees in
lates the biblical tale of how in the final stage of Israel's 1948 swelled the population
War of Independence in to six or seven times its or-
the Philistines surrounded a
brothel in Gaza visited by 1948. It was the only section iginal size. A September 1967
of land under the former census, quoted in Encyclo-
'Samson (before he met De-
lilah) in hopes of seizing him British Mandate still occu- pedia Judaica, numbered
when he emerged. Their plan pied by Egyptian forces. The the Strip's population at
was foiled, however, when Israel - Egyptian armistice 356,261.
The high density makes
Samson arose in the middle agreement of 1949 placed it
of the night, stealthily left under Egyptian rule, but it enormous demands on the
the brothel, and, with his was never actually incor- available land water re-
legendary power, uprooted porated into British territory. sources. Under the guidance
The Egyptians, blatantly of Israel authorities, provi-
the city gate and carried it
off to one of the hills of defying the terms of the sion of seed, fertilizers, pesti-
Hebron. Here, during one of agreement, stationed forces tides and machinery, and
the Philistine festivals, the throughout the Strip, thus aid in marketing and export
blinded Samson seized the making it a principal base brought about a noticeable
pillars of the temple of of the fedayeen terrorists. progress in farming. Growth
Dagon, and brought the The terrorist attacks from in traditional trades went
building down, killing him- the Strip became one of the hand in hand with the area's
self and 3,000 worshipers in primary factors of the Sinai agricultural expansion. From
Campaign' of 1956. Israel 1967, thousands of laborers
the process.
withdrew her troops from the from the Gaza Strip found
Gaza was also the locale Strip, assuming that Egypt' work in various parts of Is-
of a 17th Century messianic would not remilitarize the rael. In 1969, work was start-
scenario. Shabetai Zevi, a area and UN troops were ed on an industrial zone on
man with messianic fan- posted as a precautionary the northern border of the
tasies, while on a mission in measure. Strip. Throughout its recent
Cairo married Sarah, a girl
In 1967, preceding the Six- history, terrorists have made
of doubtful reputation. In an Day War, Egyptian aggres- attempts to disrupt the nor-
attempt to exorcise his sion was again launched mal conditions of the Strip.
demons, Shabetai sought the
advice of' Nathan, the
prophet of Gaza, who was
reputed to be able to disclose
the secret of everybody's
soul. He convinced Shabetai
composite larger score moved
By HASKELL COHEN
that indeed he was the Mes-
on in the European Cup Com-
(Copyright 1974, JTA, Inc.)
siah. and during a Shavuot
celebration, Nathan fell into
NEW YORK — You petition.
The score in Holland was
a trance and announced wouldn't imagine that sports
Shabetai's high rank before is still of utmost importance 85-84 in favor of the Dutch,
the assembly. On May 31, to . the Israelis. If you have while the Israelis clobbered
1665, in the city of Gaza. any doubts, they can be al- the same unit by a big mar-
Shabetai proclaimed himself layed by the fact that Coach gin in Tel Aviv. While the
the Messiah.
Zvi Hirshman of the Hapoel Maccabi male five was rout-
The city of Gaza, has been Tel Aviv Basketball Team ing the Dutchmen, the worn-
a base for Egyptian opera- has been detached from his en's squad of the same club
tions since its earliest days. unit in Egypt to visit here in was walloped at home 6'7-49
by the women's champions
In spite of its allotment to the States for 28 days in or-
the tribe of Judah at the der to brush up on the latest Clermont-Ferrand. A return
game between these two
time of the Israelite con- coaching methods.
teams will take place later
guest, it remained in the
Hirshman arrived in my
hands of the Canaanites until office, unannounced, and ad- this month in France-
On the negative side, Hirsh-
the beginning of the 12th vised me as chairman of the
Century BCE when the Phil- basketball committee, a U.S. man reports that the men's
istines relinquished it under Committee Sports for Israel, basketball team from Jeru-
the rule of King. David. The that he had been given spe- salem Hapoel, Jerusalem Be-
following centuries saw the cial leave during the cease- tar and Ramat Gan Macca-
coveted city change hands fire to make the trip- The biah were advised not to
among Persians, Greeks and U.S. Committee's good friend, take on opponents from
Romans. In the 5th Century, Coach Lou Carnesecca of St. Greece, Turkey and West
Christianity replaced the wor- John's University, readily Germany respectively in ex-
ship of the Cretan god Mar- agreed to host Coach Hirsh- hibitions. These games were
nas.
man, and at this writing the scheuled for November, but
Although J e w s were Israeli mentor is in attend- FIBA deemed it "too danger-
settled in Gaza during the ance at all St. John's games ous" for the three foreign
talmudic period, according and practice sessions. He teams to play exhibitions in
to the legal or halakhic reports periodically to the Israel and rejected the Isra-
aspect of the Talmud, the U.S. Committee Sports for eli -Basketball Association's
city was actually outside the Israel office, and is just ec- suggestion that all games in-
boundaries of the Holy Land. static over the fact that he volved be played abroad.
Encyclopedia Judaica states has the opportunity to learn FIBA contended that teams
that its Jewish influence was at the feet of one of Ameri- from Israel would pose- seri-
ous security problems for
evidenced by the discovery ca's premier coaches.
the host clubs.
of a synagogue dated 508/9.
Hirshman is quick to point
A mosaic floor was also un-
This problem becomes in-
covered along the seashore out that once the cease-fire creasingly more severe as
revealing an image of King went into effect, the Federa- time goes by and is bound to -
David as Orpheus, dressed tion of International Basket- affect Israel's complete in-
in Byzantine garb and play- ball Associations (FIBA) re- ternational sports program.
ing the harp with his name versed its previous stand of The fear of oil reprisals by
in Hebrew letters above the refusing to permit Israeli Arab countries now is ex-
figure. A Greek inscription basketball teams to *partici- tending into the sports world
on the center of the floor, pate in the various European and once again the Israelis
reading Menahem and Jesse, competitions "because of the suffer heavily in a field to-
amusingly illustrates that situation in the Middle East." tally unrelated to world pol-
Bill Jones, executive di-
even in ancient times, donors
itics and diplomacy.
insisted on having their rector of FIBA, a long-time
friend of Israel, has reprieved Shortly, the U.S. Commit-
names perpetuated.
A relief depicting a me- three I s r a e l i basketball tee Sports for Israel hopes
nora, a shofar, a inlay and teams who are currently to have an announcement
etrog on a pillar of the Great participating in men's and pertaining to Israeli basket-
Mosque of Gaza, is further women's tournaments. Thus ball that will alleviate this
proof of a considerable Jew- far two of the aggregations condition somewhat, if only
ish population. The Crusad- have played opening matches for a temporary period of
ers' destruction of Gaza in European Cup Tourna- time.
terminated the existing Jew- ments and in the first-leg
For every benefit you re-
games Tel Aviv Maccabi split
ish community.
In the 14th Century, the two games with Leeuwen ceive a tax is levied.—Ralph
Jewish voice was once again Haarlem and by virtue of a W. Emerson.
111.11111
GENERAL F000$