Evacuation! Gaza Strip
 

What say you all about the evacuation (forced) of the Gaza Strip? My father, a noted asshole, stated that the Strip was "prime" beach land. Who would go? And, have the Cellarites nothing to say? I find it fascinating. There's loads of bathos going on. Anyone?

Everyone and their mother knew that Hamas was going to try and take credit for "driving the Zionists out", and they are proclaiming just that. I've just been praying that some little spark doesn't ignite this whole gasoline soaked pile of sawdust and turn what could be a relatively peaceful withdrawl, into a bloodbath.

I think it's amazing that Israel is actually giving the strip back to the muslims. I never thought that would happen. There seems to be real movement towards peace now that Arafat is dead. Sucks to be a settler. They bet on the wrong horse.

I'm not much on the goings on or history behind the Gaza Strip, but I had heard that some of those folks that settled there had built thier houses illegally, meaning that they didn't own the land they were on they just "settled" there. I may be wrong, so don't jump my shit! Just looking for clarification.

I think its a mix of both legal and illegal according to Israel law. The thing that worries me is there's really 4 factions involved with this: the Israel government/military, the settlers (who could start a real shit-storm if they wanted to), Hamas/other militant groups, and the Palestinian security forces. Any slip up from any of these groups could make this get real ugly real fast.
Settler shennanigans of burning houses and a couple fringe people attacking Palestinians isn't helping a whole lot either.

I had to look that one up. What bathos are you referring to?

If I understand correctly, the settlements were essentially equivalent to if a bunch of Americans went and set up a town in Iraq to make the point that they lost the war, and then the US government made it legal (for a while).

It is fascinating. US Supreme Court aside, almost nobody wants to see anyone taken from their home by force. People seem willing to give their governments unlimited power because they trust it won't be used against them. They never get that nobody stays on top forever. Are they getting what they deserve for stealing the land to begin with? I suppose the aggreived parties are still around after forty years... I have no answers on this one.

One of the articles in this month's Whistleblower (wnd.com's print magazine) does talk about one of the resort areas on the Gaza strip that's part of what's being turned over.

The photos are quite beautiful, but I wouldn't be booking a trip any time soon.

I am concerned about the continuing safety and security of the State of Israel ... capitulation is not an effective way to address terrorist demands, and not doing so has long been Israeli SOP.

They've given this inch.

Next to be taken is 7849 square miles.

And then what's left of the 148,847,000 km².

I think that Hamas' reaction to the Israeli pullout is pretty much proof that they have no interest whatever in peace with Israel. They've got the Gaza Strip back, and they're going to want something else pretty soon, all the while telling their young, impressionable people that terrorism works.

From one point of view, I guess it does, huh?

Yep. Just ask Spain, Phillipians, Poland, [Insert Next Country to be Terroized Here]!

Doesn't anyone remember the pictures of the Pals wailing when the Jews were cutting down their olive groves to build settlements? Just walked in and took the land and put the olive growers out without a livelyhood. :eyebrow:

They'll probably get attacked from that direction again, and the tanks will be back. And the IDF will be lots less gentle with the Palestinians than they have been with the protestors.

I covered this in a conversation with a friend of mine. It may seem a bit harsh, but I'm tired of hearing about it. I'm all in favor of religious fanatics going out of their way to kill each other. I'm only concerned when religious people start killing people outside of their interest group that it becomes a problem.

"Nah, two very minor groups of religious fanatics fighting over land god, the same god actually, deeded to them.

You'll notice that they aren't too far from the middle east. Their culture hasn't evolved much more than the muslim culture.

Also, you don't see as many secular jews in that crowd. They took the money and split."