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Just say you're sorry By Nadav Shragai Tags: israel news, settlers  Now, after the war and just before the election whirlwind sucks in our politicians once again, it would be appropriate for many of them to go out of their way and visit the mobile-home sites where those uprooted from Gush Katif live. This way they can tell them one small thing: I'm sorry. Tzipi Livni, Ehud Olmert, Shaul Mofaz and Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israel Defense Forces and the police should do this - they, their agents and everyone else who initiated, implemented and aided in using force to uproot 10,000 people from their homes in Gush Katif and Northern Samaria, maliciously and without any real purpose. Everyone who saw some good in the evil of the disengagement and evil in the good of Gush Katif has turned light into darkness and darkness into light. At the very least, they are obligated to make this small apology. This includes the judges of the High Court of Justice who did not even bother to visit Gush Katif and made due with defense experts acting on behalf of the state "because that is the postion of the court since it was founded." The justices who ruled as they did because they automatically assumed that such a plan "improves the security situation" because "the evacuation reduces the desire of the Palestinians to harm the Israeli population." It would be appropriate for the honorable justices to take a vacation day as an act of forgiveness and go down south for a close-up look at the results of their decisions. Advertisement This also includes the media, which provided a challenge for Ariel Sharon and allowed him to turn a prosperous agricultural land, a world full of communities, synagogues, yeshivas and magnificent educational institutions into piles of rubble. Also the heads of the IDF and Shin Bet security service who never spoke in public what they whispered in the backrooms, and the soldiers and policemen who dragged the pioneers of Kfar Darom and Neveh Dekalim from their houses while raining blows on the demonstrators who understood what would come. The apology must also include everyone who painted those who warned that the rockets from Gaza would reach Sderot, Ashdod and Be'er Sheva as delusional and opponents of peace. Everyone who promised that they would "give it to them" after the first Qassam, but in the end cried about the moral and international constraints that prevented them from doing so, and for years abandoned the south. It must include those who took the name of democracy in vain and aided Sharon in deceiving Likud members and breaking his promises to honor Likud's decisions once it became clear to Sharon that the party's members did not agree with him. You, too, who paid almost no attention to the hundreds of thousands who tried to stop the evil, who paid no attention to those who internalized the lessons of Oslo and warned that we should not give them land and guns again. You who paid no attention to those who warned of the Hamastan state, foresaw exactly the trajectories of the rockets, and understood that this was something we gave away for free, a further disintegration of our power of deterrence and an adrenaline shot for terror. Now rise and ask for forgiveness from those who paid the highest price, with their bodies, souls and property for your close-mindedness, arrogance and wickedness. Ask for forgiveness from the Gush Katif expellees, the noble souls who did not steal land from anyone, who made the empty dunes bloom as ambassadors of the State of Israel and who turned into the south's security buffer and absorbed over 6,000 Qassams and mortar shells with their bodies and belongings in the last years of Gush Katif. Ask for forgiveness from those who swore to "win with love" - who believed and sowed until the very last minute; from those who did not raise a hand against the soldiers. Apologize to those who continued to enlist in the IDF and pay the ultimate price even after they were expelled from their houses, because they understood that the state - the national homeland of the Jewish people, even within limited borders - is still bigger than any mistaken and confused government. There is no way to know if they will forgive you, but you at least need to ask. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Proposed sanctions Dutch Labor Party proposes sanctions against Israel if it thwarts peace process. False alarm Delta flight gets IAF fighter jet escort after pilot activates anti-hijack warning system.   1.   One More Apology 08:52  |  Yitzhak Sokoloff 20/01/09   2.   Wishful Thinking 09:23  |  Yishai Kohen 20/01/09   3.   I can dream can`t I 09:33  |  Harvey 20/01/09   4.   Apartheid South Africa was wonderful for the Whites 09:46  |  Clickfool 20/01/09   5.   Great article!!!! I agree with you. 09:47  |  Damon 20/01/09   6.   Great article!!!! I agree with you. 09:47  |  Damon 20/01/09   7.   Accuse Israel of Appartheid while insisting on Judenrein Falastin 09:57  |  Rob 20/01/09   8.   Evacuation of Gush Katif 10:04  |  fed up 20/01/09   9.   Apology 10:13  |  Barry 20/01/09   10.   Your settler mentality is the reason 10:24  |  Steve the Pals. 20/01/09   11.   The only (Jewish) people Israels leaders should apologize to.... 10:59  |  Swiss (Dino) 20/01/09   12.   With Gush Katif it would be far worse. Thanks being out! 11:12  |  Gal 20/01/09   13.   Cast Lead counter terrorism operation is a glimpse of 11:48  |  Joseph.E 20/01/09   14.   Applogize for the failed seige policy on Gaza 12:17  |  GalileeHero 20/01/09   15.   Apologies needed 12:53  |  Murray 20/01/09   16.   become a Friend of Gush Katif! 13:17  |  Gil 20/01/09   17.   No.1 Sorry seems to be our hardest word 13:18  |  Ussishkin 20/01/09   18.   The settlers should be... 17:11  |  Mary-Lee 20/01/09   19.   Standing Up for the Land 17:34  |  CDG 20/01/09   20.   Just say you`re sorry 17:37  |  Julius Romanoff 20/01/09   21.   Standing Up for the People 17:43  |  CDG 20/01/09   22.   Dialectical delusion 18:45  |  David 20/01/09   23.   Article: "Just Say you`re Sorry". 19:28  |  Barbara Brown 20/01/09   24.   Here`s another apology Israel needs to make... 19:39  |  Silvienne 20/01/09   25.   "Disengagement" is now naked in it`s cruelty, evil and ugliness. 19:58  |  Chaim 20/01/09   26.   #16, Gil, surely you aren`t soliciting?? 20:29  |  Silvienne 20/01/09   27.   #20, Chaim...now come on, it isn`t all bad... 20:31  |  Silvienne 20/01/09   28.   Silvienne 21:25  |  Leaven 20/01/09   29.   the better option would have been 22:57  |  shahd 20/01/09   30.   #24 10:47  |  Dmitry 21/01/09   31.   #15 11:03  |  Dmitry 21/01/09   32.   #30, Dmitry, where did I say anything about... 17:50  |  Silvienne 21/01/09   33.   A million Arabs in "Israel" but no room for Jews in "Palestine" 15:59  |  IW 22/01/09   34.   Only in Israel 06:36  |  Ira 23/01/09   35.   You can tell it`s about Israel.... 15:44  |  Susan 05/02/09   36.   Mary-lee same for pals who claim Israel is palestine 13:02  |  petra 12/04/09

Read & React Before talks with Netanyahu, Obama to meet Jordan king Responses: 27 Harel and Issacharoff: Israel is profiting from Egypt-Hezbollah quarrel Responses: 9 Gideon Levy: The dark religious side of Israel Responses: 74 Editorial: Israel should welcome Obama's diplomatic overtures to Iran Responses: 6 More Headlines 13:49 Netanyahu tells Abbas: I will cooperate for peace 14:03 In Easter message, Pope calls for Israeli-Palestinian peace 14:04 Family of four trapped in car after hit by truck in Jerusalem 09:03 ANALYSIS / Israel is profiting from Egypt-Hezbollah quarrel 08:53 Where is the real Via Dolorosa? 04:36 Gideon Levy / The dark religious side of Israel 12:33 Rightists march through Sderot in bid to reach former Gaza settlement 13:52 Israeli man succumbs to wounds sustained in 2002 Hamas suicide bombing 10:47 WATCH: Daily news round-up from Israel 09:55 Egypt: We thwarted $2 million transfer to Hamas 12:01 No plans to evacuate Israelis as Thailand declares state of emergency 04:02 Egyptian official: Talks on Shalit swap deal resume 09:06 Grandson of Herzl's close friend brings rare photos to Israel 12:30 Iranian bloggers wary after death of colleague jailed for criticizing regime 05:59 Warm weather, holidays draw Israelis to national parks in droves 08:50 The new unemployed: younger and more educated Previous Editions Select Day 10 apr 09 apr 08 apr 07 apr 06 apr 05 apr 03 apr 02 apr 01 apr 31 mar 30 mar 29 mar

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