2005-07-02-gaza_withdrawal

By Ira Sharkansky

We are not happy campers this summer.

For some months Israelis have felt the effects of withdrawing Jewish settlements from Gaza. The latest schedule of the move is for mid-August. Proposals for postponing it a month and a year are only two of the troubles. They are likely to be minor, and not make it out of the Cabinet or the Knesset with the required majorities.

Far more troublesome are the periodic traffic jams, as opponents sit in main roads during rush hour, and wait for the police to carry them away. An event near Haifa produced some violence toward the demonstrators by angry drivers. The concern for the feelings of protesters appeared in the action of the police to arrest the offending drivers and not the protesters. So far no cars have continued to drive over those sitting in the way.

This past week a group of Kach supporters (the remnants of Meir Kahane's movement) traveled from their homes near Hebron to Gaza where they took over an old hotel and invaded a nearby Palestinian property. They engaged in a stone-throwing fight with Palestinians and came close to beating to death a Palestinian teenager. These folks are as close to organized Jewish barbarians as can be found. The army and police brought some 1200 personnel to deal with 120 squatters, moved them out of the hotel and the Palestinian property, jailed several of them, and are now sorting through news pictures to identify those who beat the young man. This event, together with the public's fatigue from protest-caused traffic jams, has produced an upsurge in popular support for withdrawal. It is back over 60 percent, having fallen as low as 48 percent. Some time ago, popular support for the withdrawal was at 70 percent.

Collectively, Israelis are ambivalent. Recent publications have been critical of the prime minister's manipulations in getting the required support within his government and the Knesset. Lots of people feel that withdrawal should be linked to explicit concessions from Palestinians. Intense opponents and supporters do not spare the adjectives in cursing those on the other side.

Few think the Palestinians deserve the gift of a withdrawal. Sharon's explanations, and much public sentiment, is that the problems withdrawal causes to settlers are justified by the advantages it will bring to Israeli security.

Lots of cars are sporting orange or blue and white ribbons. The orange ribbons signify opposition to withdrawal, and are available at most major intersections where religious young people weave in an out of traffic waiting for the lights to change, give them to willing drivers and ask for donations. The blue and white ribbons have come as part of political advertisements included in recent issues of Ha'aretz.

Occasionally one sees cars with both orange and blue and white ribbons. Perhaps it means confusion or internal tensions. Or a division within the family.

Last evening I asked a nephew, an investment banker, what his colleagues think about the crisis. He responded that serious investors are not expecting economy-wrenching trouble. Money continues to flow to Israeli start-ups, as well as other issues. Last month the stock market indices reached an all-time high. Then they dipped, but since have been regaining some of those losses.

Overseas organizations that send young Jews to Israel for inspirational tours are less optimistic than investors. They have packed their groups into the early part of the summer.

Sharkansky is a member of the political science department at Hebrew University in Jerusalem