Law Of No Return

The unilateral Israeli disengagement of Jewish settlers from Gaza and parts of the West Bank is now complete. This is one of those events that cannot bring any real joy to Israelis. The sight of people being uprooted from their homes had to be heartbreaking, even to those who supported this move. It is almost impossible not to feel sadness for the children being displaced from the only homes they had ever known, even if you disagree with the motivations of their parents for having moved there.

The whole program of re-settling the occupied territories was a sham, because it wasn't practical for the purpose of achieving any acceptable conclusion to the Palestinian issue. There was never any way that these territories were going to become part of a "greater Israel", because that would mean a one state solution. And with the Arab population surpassing the Jewish population in greater Israel, that would mean Jews would either be an electoral minority or running an Apartheid state. The Jewish settlements were just a temporary land grab to be negotiated back for peace. The settlers who chose to go there probably believed they were fulfilling a biblical prophecy, but very few politicians looked at it that way. (Acting on pronouncements from God, no matter which religion, has never amounted to much good. Remember that this whole mess started with the Battle of Jericho, which was the world's first jihad.) And the settlers were just sacrificial lambs, first suffering the violence of their Palestinian neighbours, and then being sold out when the inevitable withdrawal occurred - their religious convictions not ever allowing them to believe that this day would come. They must feel even more betrayed by the fact that the disengagement happened without anything offered in return by the other side.

Was this the right thing to do? I really have no clue. My political leanings indicate that I should support this, but I have more than a hint of skepticism. There is a significant portion of the Palestinian population that will believe the propaganda that this is a capitulation to the Intifada. Even if that isn't the reality, the perception could lead to very real consequences. In addition, nobody really knows what Ariel Sharon's true agenda is with this decision, although it has been speculated on from all sides. We can only hope that the old hawk has morphed into an owl.

Finally, I realize that there aren't any tears being shed for the former settlers tonight in Palestine. There will never be a lasting peace until their people get a better grip on humanity. Prolonged treatment will be needed to eradicate the cancer from that culture. But, for now, Israel will accept a Band-Aid if it gets them through today without another child strapping on a bomb.