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Last update - 10:28 05/01/2009
'We lost our homes for nothing,' says reservist from former Gaza settlement
By Nir Hasson
Tags: israel news, gaza, hamas 

Three years after being evacuated from settlements in the Gaza Strip, some of the evacuees are now returning - in uniform.

Aharon Cruz, a paratroops officer, lived in Netzarim for two years before the disengagement. On Sunday, he and his unit, to which he had been recalled a mere day after his wedding last Thursday, were back at the settlement's ruins in central Gaza.


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"On one hand, there's a feeling of 'what did we leave for?'" said his father, Rabbi Ze'ev Cruz. "On the other hand, there's joy that he is returning to a place he knows."

The ground operation has aroused strong feelings among the evacuees. Some see it as a first step toward returning to their former homes. But most simply want to shout "we told you so!" And the feelings are intensified among those who have sons serving in Gaza.

"It's a very difficult feeling," said Ami Shaked, former chief security officer of the Gush Katif settlement bloc, whose son is a paratrooper. "This is the first war in which my son is defending me instead of me, him."

But beyond that, "everything we said then has come true. What is happening today reopens the wounds. The thought arises that perhaps we shouldn't have given in; perhaps we should have been more insistent, ratcheted up the struggle another notch. But that's history."

Yossi Neuman, a reserve officer in Southern Command who once lived in Neve Dekalim, was called up over a week ago. His son Itai, a tank commander, called him yesterday from the ruins of Netzarim.

"It's a destructive feeling," Neuman said. "I'm here on an emergency call-up and my son is fighting for what we once had. We said missiles would haunt Ashkelon and they said we were delusional. We lost our homes and our lives for nothing, for nothing at all in exchange. And in the end, we're returning to fight there."

For many evacuees, the feelings were heightened by the news that the son of Zvika Bar-Hai - a West Bank settler who was one of the leaders of the fight against disengagement - was seriously wounded on the first day of the ground operation.

But the army's return to Netzarim was particularly emotional for former residents of that settlement. "I got text messages that said 'stop everything, we'll soon be back,'" said one, Itzik Vazana. "We're hoping for the day when we return. I think we've come a long way from the expulsion until today. We've made a big circle, and in the end, we're returning to Netzarim. Tomorrow morning we won't return to the settlement, but it's a process that will ripen slowly."

"It's a stab in the heart," added another, Eliyahu Ozen. "Today it is clear that when I lived in Netzarim, I was the country's flak jacket. Today, I live with the feeling that I did my job. Too bad they didn't want it any more."

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    • Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    Fallen hero
    Relatives mourn Maj. Roey Rosner, 27, killed Wednesday by Gaza militants.
    On the northern front
    Hezbollah denies responsibility for two rockets fired at Israel from Lebanon.
      1.   eveything belongs to the Israelis 05:37  |  davi 05/01/09
      2.   Better to be Out 05:47  |  Ed 05/01/09
      3.   PROOF war and problems start only where there are no settlements 05:55  |  amir 05/01/09
      4.   Was never your `home` to begin with 06:01  |  Tired and Frustrated 05/01/09
      5.   The Know It Alls 06:07  |  Yakov 05/01/09
      6.   bad news, good news 06:30  |  Shimon Cleopas 05/01/09
      7.   the thives return 07:09  |  ravi 05/01/09
      8.   Pathetic 07:42  |  Susan 05/01/09
      9.   Dangerous musings by ex-Gaza settlers... 07:43  |  Esther 05/01/09
      10.   Uprooted 07:46  |  Palestinain 05/01/09
      11.   I told you so..... 07:46  |  Miriam Ashkelon 05/01/09
      12.   We all saw this coming 07:58  |  Ben 05/01/09
      13.   Perpetuating "settler" nonsense... 08:01  |  Michael Hess 05/01/09
      14.   When will we learn? 08:27  |  Zev 05/01/09
      15.   it`s not even i told you so 08:33  |  chani 05/01/09
      16.   You lost your home to make Israel more just 08:34  |  Michelle T 05/01/09
      17.   Lost your homes ? 08:42  |  HAL 05/01/09
      18.   it`s not only i told you so 08:42  |  chani 05/01/09
      19.   It was NOT for nothing 08:49  |  MiddleStanian 05/01/09
      20.   Aprooting Jews from their homes. 08:55  |  Jean Van Daem 05/01/09
      21.   We lost our homes for nothing .." 09:08  |  DT 05/01/09
      22.   Sharon`s original plan 09:56  |  Guido 05/01/09
      23.   Muslims know 10:18  |  Paul 05/01/09
      24.   "Never home to begin with?" 10:50  |  SDHD 05/01/09
      25.   It was not your place 11:24  |  Marilyn 05/01/09
      26.   Michael Hess aka BSNews 11:41  |  SDHD 05/01/09
      27.   Jews lived in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem up to 1948 11:59  |  SDHD 05/01/09
      28.   Not for Nothing - for Life 12:12  |  Ilan 05/01/09
      29.   #25 Marilyn Some History Part 1 12:13  |  in der Tat 05/01/09
      30.   About former residents of Gush Katif 12:15  |  Luca 05/01/09
      31.   About former residents of Gush Katif 12:16  |  Luca 05/01/09
      32.   Israel owes an apology to these Gaza settlers 12:26  |  Alicia 05/01/09
      33.   We left to save our lives 12:26  |  peaceship 05/01/09
      34.   #17 HAL; also this Strip is historic Jewish land 12:29  |  Alicia 05/01/09
      35.   Were the settlements our flak jackets? 12:36  |  Meir Gush etzion 05/01/09
      36.   Disgusted with all those who aim to turn back the clock! 12:41  |  Esther 05/01/09
      37.   Does anyone think "disengagement" was a success? 12:48  |  Realist 05/01/09
      38.   THE GAZANS LOST THEIR LIVES, YOU LOST NOTHING 12:56  |  indrajaya 05/01/09
      39.   Settlers get back to earth please? 12:56  |  Northern 05/01/09
      40.   Luca, prego. write on the improvements Hamas introduced 13:21  |  Alicia 05/01/09
      41.   GUIDO the real plan is in the Hamas charter 13:26  |  PETER SM 05/01/09
      42.   Esther #36 13:37  |  JoJo 05/01/09
      43.   It`s not easy to counter this reasoning. 13:47  |  Fortuna Benmayor 05/01/09
      44.   For "amir" # 3: Let`s settle Iran then... 13:49  |  Fortuna Benmayor 05/01/09
      45.   GUIDO the real plan is in the Hamas charter 14:01  |  Guido 05/01/09
      46.   For nothing indeed! 14:13  |  ben 05/01/09
      47.   Not for nothing - to save Arik Sharon from going to Jail 14:14  |  naomi 05/01/09
      48.   Sad, but true. 14:21  |  MAJ 05/01/09
      49.   We told you so - has no value to a hoemless person 14:22  |  Avi 05/01/09
      50.   Cruz correct, but for the wrong reason 16:09  |  Ivar 05/01/09
      51.   Stupidity 16:12  |  American 05/01/09
      52.   marilyn #25 "if i stole my neighbors land,built my house,sealed 17:02  |  terrornator 05/01/09
      53.   #4 ALL STOLEN JEWISH LAND & Property Must be Returned to Jews 17:03  |  Linda Rivera 05/01/09
      54.   #4 #17 JEWISH REFUGEES Must be Compensated in LAND & Finances 17:06  |  Linda Rivera 05/01/09
      55.   Jojo #42... do not perceive any connection ... 17:07  |  Esther 05/01/09
      56.   #22,#45, Guido 17:15  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 05/01/09
      57.   #50 IVAR? 17:17  |  fiona 05/01/09
      58.   Israel should never have given up one inch of land to the palis 17:22  |  JB 05/01/09
      59.   Gush Katif 19:30  |  Lauren Helfand 05/01/09
      60.   They were paid to leave Gaza 10:32  |  Bumbaclaat 06/01/09
      61.   to Susan #8 (2nd try) 12:09  |  zeev 06/01/09
      62.   to CJ Kohn #56 (2nd try) 12:10  |  zeev 06/01/09
      63.   to Yakov #5 - absolutely right (3rd try) 20:27  |  zeev 10/01/09
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