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Peace At What Cost?

The lessons of Gaza withdrawal six years ago resonate for West Bank.

Linda Gradstein
Jewish Telegraphic Agency

refusal of soldiers to follow orders,
and I am deeply worried about the
ability of the army to continue to
be an effective fighting force."
Shiloh, West Bank
Halevi estimates that Jewish
settlers and their supporters make
Israel Medad remem-
up 40 percent of some combat
bers when just eight
units; an Israeli army spokesman
families lived in the
said
the IDF does not release fig-
red-roofed homes in this Jewish
ures
"on such a sensitive subject!'
settlement deep in the hills of
Orthodox
men, who constitute a
the West Bank.
wellspring
of support for the set-
Now some 2,500 Israelis
tlements,
continue
to volunteer for
live here, and Shiloh has play-
combat
units
in
large
numbers.
grounds, schools and a yeshivah.
These
Orthodox
youth
also are
The red-roofed homes sprawl
fiercely
loyal
to
their
rabbis.
When
over several hills, and new
Israeli
police
recently
detained
homes continue to be built. At
Rabbi Dov Lior of the Jewish
the bottom of the hill is the
settlement of Kiryat Arba to ques-
archaeological excavation of the
tion him on charges of incitement
biblical Shiloh, where the tab-
and racism, hundreds of Orthodox
ernacle is believed to have been
youth
in Jerusalem blocked streets
built.
and clashed with police. If Lior
Shiloh is often cited as one
An Israeli settler's house in the Gaza Strip settlement of Pe'at Sadeh prior to the Israeli pullout in
issued a ruling that it is forbidden
of the settlements likely to be
2005. Referring to the Jewish settlements in Gaza, graffiti on the wall says "Gush Katif forever."
to force Jews to leave Jewish settle-
uprooted under any final peace
ments in the West Bank, many
deal with the Palestinians. It is
Orthodox Jewish soldiers might
"People in Israel were willing to pay a
live like refugees."
relatively isolated, about 28 miles
find themselves torn.
heavy price in exchange for a real peace,
There is great debate in Israel over
north of Jerusalem, and halfway between
Gershon Baskin of the Israel Palestine
but now they feel betrayed:' Danon said.
whether the withdrawal from Gaza,
the Palestinian cities of Ramallah and
Center for Research and Information says
"They feel like it was all for nothing."
which then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
Nablus.
such fears are overstated and that most
Then there's the military challenge
carried out in August 2005, was a strate-
But with little movement in Israeli-
religious soldiers would follow the orders
inherent in any West Bank withdrawal.
gic failure or success.
Palestinian negotiations, Shiloh is not
of the army, not their rabbis.
During the pullout from Gaza, many in
On the one hand, Israel no longer had
likely to disappear anytime soon. And
"Israel is a state where the rule of
Israel speculated that pro-settler soldiers
to deal with the daily security threats
even in the long term, any discussion of
law works:' Baskin told JTA. "If there's a
and officers would disobey orders to
and headache of protecting 9,000 Jews
dismantling Jewish settlements in the
democratic decision that is seen as legiti-
evacuate the Gaza settlers. That did not
in Gaza. And on the diplomatic front,
West Bank is haunted by Israel's experi-
mate, supported by Knesset and perhaps
happen and most soldiers did their jobs.
ence six years ago this summer, when the Israel's withdrawal ended Israel's formal
The few who in good conscience felt they backed by a referendum, the public will
removal of some 9,000 settlers from their occupation of the coastal strip, which
not be behind any settlers who will take
could not perform this duty were quietly
it had captured from Egypt in 1967 but
homes in the Gaza Strip was followed
the law into their own hands and use
excused.
never incorporated into Israel proper.
by a Hamas takeover of Gaza and rocket
violence!'
But a withdrawal from the West Bank
On the other hand, a year after the
attacks against Israel.
"It will be much more traumatic than
could be different. For one thing, the
"The expulsion from Gaza should serve Israeli withdrawal, Hamas seized control
the Gaza withdrawal. But if people are
number of settlers whose communities
of Gaza, and rocket fire from Gaza into
as a warning for any withdrawal from
convinced that peace is going to be real
southern Israel increased dramatically. At would not be annexed to Israel could
Judea and Samaria," said Hamutal Cohen
and settlement withdrawal would be
exceed 80,000 (an estimated 320,000
the end of 2008, Israel launched a three-
of the Committee for the Residents of
gradual and incremental over time they
Jews are living in West Bank settlements,
week war to stem the rocket fire, draw-
Gush Katif, which was the largest bloc of
would support it, he said.
not including eastern Jerusalem, which
ing international condemnation for its
Jewish settlements in Gaza. "The govern-
It's not clear whether Jews who live in
Israel annexed).
military actions. Over the last few years,
ment totally failed with 9,000 settlers.
settlements like Shiloh would have the
Palestinian advocates also have argued
How can they manage with tens of thou-
option of staying on under Palestinian
Widespread Support
that Israel's blockade of Gaza, which has
sands?"
sovereignty or whether they would want
Yossi Klein Halevi, a journalist and a
loosened recently, constituted a de facto
Only 20 percent of the 1,700 families
to remain. Some Palestinian officials,
fellow at Jerusalem's Shalom Hartman
continuation of the occupation.
forced to leave Gaza have moved into
including Palestinian Authority Prime
Institute, says support for Jewish settlers
Danon says the Gaza withdrawal was
permanent homes, according to the corn-
Minister Salam Fayyad, have welcomed
in the West Bank has gone mainstream
mittee. Many, especially farmers, have not clearly a mistake and a West Bank pull-
the idea, but P.A. President Mahmoud
in a way that support for settlements in
back would be an even bigger mistake.
been able to find work.
Abbas has expressed reservations.
Gaza never did.
Citing the rocket threat, he noted that
"You can't fix the trauma and cri-
"If a Palestinian state is created and
"Two generations have grown up in
an Israeli withdrawal even from part
ses these people are still suffering six
my security could be ensured, I would
Israel who see the settlements not only
of the West Bank would leave central
years later," Danny Danon, a Knesset
definitely choose to stay:' said Medad of
as part of Israel but as the heart of
Israel — including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem
member from the Likud Party, told JTA.
Shiloh, who has lived in the settlement
Israel," Halevi told JTA. "Any withdrawal
and Ben-Gurion Airport — well within
"Marriages have broken up, and a lot of
since 1981.
from the West Bank would involve mass
Palestinian rocket range.
kids dropped out of school. People still

y

July 7 2011

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