Posted on 08/19/2005 2:54:19 PM PDT by Alouette
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AFP) - Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas hailed Israel's historic Gaza withdrawal as the result of Palestinian sacrifice, as Israeli forces moved out some of the last remaining Jewish settlers.
With the vast majority of the 21 Jewish settlements in Gaza evacuated, Abbas told a crowd of jubilant supporters that the ending of 38 years of Israeli occupation in the tiny territory was "the fruit of Palestinian sacrifice".
"We want on this occasion to pay homage to our martyrs, to our prisoners, to our wounded and all those among our people who have made sacrifices," he said.
The Palestinian leader reiterated calls for his people to bolster the case for independence by refraining from violence, pledging that there would be further pullbacks from the far larger West Bank and annexed east Jerusalem.
"The most important thing is how to build our country so that it will become a model of civilisation for the rest of the world," he said.
"This step is only the first step that will be completed in Jenin and in the West Bank and in Jerusalem, God willing," added the Palestinian leader, reiterating his refrain that Israel make additional pullbacks.
With the evacuation operation winding down for the weekend, police and soldiers on Friday forced out settlers from only one more community, Gadid.
Images of Jews being dragged kicking and screaming from a synagogue by fellow Jews, that have become all too familiar since the first expulsions on Wednesday, were once again beamed into Israeli homes.
Over by lunchtime, the army described resistance as "very mild" in stark contrast to events Thursday at a synagogue in the Kfar Darom settlement where hardliners hurled corrosive liquid, oil and dirt bombs at unarmed riot police.
"Jews don't expel Jews," was the common cry as Israel's operation to completely withdraw from the impoverished Palestinian territory gathered pace.
Six people were arrested during the Gadid evacuation and one woman was taken to hospital after slipping from the roof of a single-storey which she had smeared with oil in a bid to hamper her evacuators.
Another two dozen radical Israeli youths were arrested after they managed to escape their evictors to flee into a Palestinian enclave.
All but three of the 21 Gaza Strip settlements have either been officially classified as empty or almost completely evacuated, and the process of demolishing the empty homes has begun.
"All in all this is a victory for the security forces and for the settlers," said the commander of the pullout operation, General Dan Harel.
He said the operation would be suspended for the Sabbath, the Jewish holy day of rest that began at sundown Friday, adding: "The last settlers will probably be evacuated by Tuesday or Wednesday."
The operation, the first time Israel has removed Jews from Palestinian land, has sharply divided the Jewish state, with many settlers accusing their one-time champion Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of betrayal.
But Palestinians have welcomed the pullout as a victory for the resistance to four decades of occupation and the international community hopes it will mark a new page in efforts to bring peace to the turbulent Middle East.
"My heart danced for joy when I saw the smoke rise from Neve Dekalim and the settlers being chased out," said 38-year-old Rasmi Sahlul who used to earn 65 dollars a day as a farm labourer on the settlement.
The army said troops had dragged out most protestors from the synagogues at Kfar Darom and the main settlement of Neve Dekalim, where hundreds of chanting Jews had staged a two-day blockade, locking arms to prevent their eviction.
A heavy silence hung over Neve Dekalim on Friday morning.
Medical sources said 75 people, including 31 police and soldiers were wounded during Thursday's operations while about 250 protestors were arrested after the Kfar Darom clashes -- rare scenes of Jew violently confronting Jew.
The prime minister voiced his rage at those who attacked police trying to eject them, branding them "barbarians".
"I saw this bunch of wild people attacking police, border police and soldiers and I said to myself that this was a criminal act, simply that," Sharon told the Yediot Aharonot.
Next week he heads to Gaza to personally thank the security forces.
While the pullout has cost him the enmity of the settlers who once saw him as their champion, Sharon has won international praise for the move.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said the pullout illustrated that "Sharon is capable of making peace."
In an interview with the New York Times, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stressed that Israel's obligations for peace with the Palestinians extended beyond the current pullout. "It cannot be Gaza only," she said.
But Sharon has pledged to pursue settlement activity in the West Bank -- action that defies an internationally drafted peace plan for the Middle East.
Warning! This is a high-volume ping list.
Just look at this! Who can believe this?
Abbas is a more PC acceptable terrorist.
Is any comment even necessary? I think not...
Where have the Palestinians sacrificed in this?
I guess Sharon will find out whose votes count most in the next election, Israelis or the international opinion polls.
How much does he earn now, and doing what?
..........................................
Okay, fine, say what you wish, BUT like Robert Redfords presidential candidate said when they won - "what do we do now?"
I hope for their sake, Israel knows what it is doing.
whoops, forgot the source
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/614273.html
The suicide bombings will never stop. The terrorists will be using Gaza as a staging area for attacks against Israel.
Yes, I know I am preaching to choir on this issue, but there is another Israeli Arab war looming on the skyline and the US and the Europeans are pushing the buttons.
Abbas presides over Fatah, which used dozens of suicide bombers packing nail and ballbearin bombs with poison and tried to kill every Israeli man, women and child it could.
They are mass murdering terrorists.
Had they wanted peace, they could have had it merely by signing a peace agreement. They wanted, and want, the destruction of Israel. This has not changed, just look at what they are teaching their kids in school.
Condi: "It cannot only be Gaza".
Dear Condi,
Bite me. Ensure the Palestinians disarm the terror organizations. Do your job.
sofaman
The Morning After Gaza
By Steven Stalinsky
FrontPageMagazine.com | August 19, 2005
The Road Map for peace called for an end to Palestinian armed activity, including for the Palestinian Authority to collect arms from terror groups and for all official Palestinian institutions to end incitement against Israel. None of which has happened. Now that Israel's disengagement from Gaza is a fact — a major question remains, what will happen the day after?
All indications point to Gaza becoming a haven for gathering Palestinian terrorist groups, as well as global terrorists affiliated with them. Many have openly stated they will be moving their bases of operations there.
The Saudi daily Al-Watan reported in the last week of June that Palestinian Authority leaders have invited all Palestinian rejectionist groups to Gaza. They include multiple groups and individuals on the U.S. list of Designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations including Syrian based Hamas officials such as Khaled Mashaal and Musa Abu Marzouk, as well as leaders from the Democratic Front of the Liberation of Palestine and the Popular Struggle Front.
It was also announced that the Tunis based head of the PLO, Faruq Qaddumi is moving his base of operations to Gaza. He is a possible successor and key rival to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. According to him, the PLO charter, which calls for the destruction of Israel, has not really been amended. Qaddumi will be bringing with him a “volunteer popular army” of at least 1,500 who will be under his control, according to Saudi media reports from August 3.
This follows other reports from Lebanon that additional Palestinian fighters devoted to Israel's destruction are also coming to Gaza. One report, in the Lebanese Daily Star from August 1 quoted a senior Fatah official who “did not deny rumors” and was quoted explaining, “we were informed we will be with them [other Palestinian fighters in Gaza] soon.”
Additionally in May, Arabic papers such as Al-Ayyam and Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported that hundreds of Palestinians wanted for connections to terrorist attacks have joined the Palestinian security apparatus. Other jailed terrorists have been released from prison this summer. According to the Arab News of June 12, members of Islamic Jihad, who were involved with the suicide attack in February that killed five in Tel-Aviv, have been set free.
The issue of arms remains contentious as the U.S. is urging Israel to re-arm the PA while terrorists who were supposed to be disarmed under the Road Map have not yet been disarmed. In June, the PA's Foreign Minister Nasser Al-Kidwa, Yasser Arafat's nephew, explained on PA TV: “Keeping our weapons is a strategic option” and that “possession of weapons is a strategic issue.” Referring to terror groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad, he explained, “the dismantling of armed organizations is not on the table because weapons are legal.”
In the days and hours leading up to disengagement, the PA leadership stated in Arabic how it views the situation. On August 12, Abbas exclaimed “Today were are celebrating the liberation of Gaza and the Northern West Bank, tomorrow we celebrate the liberation of Jerusalem.”
Similarly, during the first week of August, PA Prime Minister Ahmad Qurei in celebration of Yasser Arafat's birthday exclaimed, “Today Gaza, tomorrow Jerusalem” adding: “We will still celebrate once we reach our goals and establish a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, with the return of the refugees.”
Recognizing the role of Hamas, Qurei stated: “the children of Yasser Arafat the martyr and the children of Ahmad Yassin the martyr and children of all the martyrs. Jerusalem is closer than ever…We will continue until victory. None of us will give up until we are on Jerusalem's soil.”
The leadership of Hamas has been the most open about its intentions. According to Al Jazeera.net on August 12, the groups leader, Mahmoud Al-Zahar, explained his organization is a legitimate security tool and will never disarm. After attending a training session of the military wing of Hamas, the Izz Al-din al-Qassam Brigades, he stated the Palestinians will “liberate Palestine from the Jordan River to the sea.”
The armed wing of the Fatah movement, which is a part of the PLO, issued a statement on August 15 that sums up the problems ahead: “We support our brothers in Hamas and affirm that no Palestinian armed wing will be dissolved because Palestine is not Gaza only, but rather, Palestine is Palestine from the River (Jordan River) to the Sea (Mediterranean Sea) and it is our land and we have the right to defend it.”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.