What Israel Gave Up In The Name Of Peace

When 6 Arab nations attacked Israel in 1967 and lost, Israel found itself controlling Gaza. I point out that we didn't go out and attack Gaza to gain the area. Egypt had been in control before that. Israelis lived in Gaza as well as Palestinians. In order to bring about peace, Israel pulled out completely from all of Gaza in August of 2005. That meant that 21 Israeli settlements were uprooted. People left their business and homes for the Palestinians. The whole area was given to the them. See my blog article on the History of Gaza. http://israel-nadene.blogspot.com/2008/11/gaza-strip-and-israel-israel-was.html

To Leave, Israel Had To Dismantle

They dismantled 38 synagogues in Gaza.

New schools had to be found for their 5,000 school age children.

Daycare centers that had to close amounted to 42.

Kindergartens that closed amounted to 36.

Elementary schools that were closed amounted to 7.

High schools that were closed amounted to 3.

There were 48 graves uprooted in the former Gush Katif Cemetery in Gaza, including 6 graves of residents murdered by terrorists.

Not only Gaza, but we evacuated our own people out of the "West Bank" amounting to 300 square miles. This means that 4 settlements were uprooted here.

About 9,000 Israelis, including 1,700 families lived in Gaza and the northern West Bank. All were moved out in the name of peace.

The problem of rehousing this many people was great in a state where most people were living in high rise apartment houses such as what I had been living in in Safed in the North. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had to obtain 320 mobile homes for temporary housing for the settlers. He had to find an area to put them.

It took 45,000 Israeli soldiers and policemen to participate in the withdrawal. Many settlers did not want to leave.

The cost of Israel to withdraw the settlers was estimated at $1.7 billion.

166 Israeli farmers were moved out of the Gush Katif Community in Gaza along with 800 cows, which made up the 2nd largest dairy farm in Israel. The people of Gush Katif produced and exported flowers, of which $120 million was the value of the flowers and they lost this following the evacuation. 10,000 people were employed in agriculture and related industries here, which is including 5,000 Palestinians. All this has been lost.

There was even a zoo, the "Katifari" that was home to hundred of animals an this had to be moved.

What did it gain us? Peace? No, eight years of shelling, PTSD to most of the Southern part of Israel, death and injuries to thousands.

What are the Palestinians doing in Gaza? Most are still on the dole of the United Nations. They are not creating the same industries that Israel had going.

Resource: My cousin in South Africa: By the numbers...

The Israel Project: press@theisraelproject.org Subject: Gaza by the Numbers