Strip Evacuation

I could not not say something about this.

Netzarim was one of the first settlements erected in Gaza, and now the last one that's just been evacuated, 2 decades later.

It seems the political analysts have been more concerned with the (re)structuring of post-evacuation Gaza and the Palestinian people, while the media have showcased the more violent and emotive aspects of the operation. (Yeah, kudos on the sweeping generalisations.) For me, though, I wonder what life will be like for the evacuated settlers as they (try to) find new homes - especially since settlers who did not leave voluntarily risk getting a lot less help from the government.

Palestinian critics say that there will be no sudden democratic utopia, of Gaza. It isn't the presence of illegal settlements that is oppressing the Palestinians - it's the disempowerment from the control of their own land. Unless control is given back to the Palestinian people, there is no real (socio-political) significance of the entire evacuation operation.

In David Samuels' latest for Atlantic (unfortunately I couldn't read it as I'm not a paying subscriber), he raises the question of Arafat as a 'destroyer' of Palestine. That his failure to use the Oslo Accord in 1993 for the creation of a Palestinian state, and for reconciliation between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples, robbed Palestine of 10 years of economic development. I found his insights on his interview with NPR quite sombering, although his perspective is probably one shared by many other Arafat critics.

Now, Arafat's power is seriously threatened in the face of the military group Hamas claiming the evacuation as a victory, as well as Abbas of the Palestinian Authority - even if the latter isn't considered a terribly charismatic leader among the people.

A lot of people are sick and tired of blame games for 'understanding' Palestinian suffering. Thing is, wanting to just move forward... is it not almost impossible, without the consideration of Arafat's corruption (and the implications of that on Abbas' popularity), or other failings from a political leadership that just didn't build enough credibility among the people.

It boggles my mind how the actions of so very few can affect, so profoundly, the lives of so many. And often without even being themselves scathed.

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Last week, Gaza. From today, the West Bank. It will be interesting to see how the anticipated resistance in the West Bank will play out, relative to Gaza.

Let's hope it won't get too violent.


Technorati: Gaza, Israel, Palestine, disengagement