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No to evacuation
By Gideon Levy
Tags: Gideon Levy

Click here for more articles by Gideon Levy

The Yahalom and Bar Kochba families must be returned without delay to their homes in the wholesale marketplace from which they were expelled. The Israel Defense Forces must immediately reconnect their electricity and water and ensure their safety, day and night, as it does for all the settlers in the city. In return the Yahaloms and Bar Kochbas will serve the soldiers coffee and cookies, and kugel for Shabbat, as they always do.

We must also apologize to the families for expelling them: They should not have been discriminated against in comparison with the city's other settlers. There is no difference between their act of robbery and the other acts of robbery in the city. Bar Kochba and Yahalom stole property that was stolen long ago; the store owners on whose property they squatted have not seen their shops for years and will not get them back now, so there is no reason to complain about the squatters' behavior. That's what everyone does in Hebron.
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It would also have been better had the self-righteous evacuation performance, which incorporated a very large force, 3,000 soldiers and policemen, never taken place - including the staged acts of refusal and violence that are a hallmark of the well-timed show. These absurd acts of evacuation don't help anyone, they only cause damage. In Hebron there should be one rule: all or nothing. Either the government has the courage to uproot the entire abscess, or it should allow it to grow unabated.

There is no other place in the territories where the essence of the truth and the evil of the settlement enterprise is revealed, without camouflage, as in the City of the Patriarchs. Here the violence, dispossession and terror against a helpless population are a daily routine diabolically taught from birth. So the failure to uproot the Hebron settlers is the real crime, and we will pay for it.

The Hebron "evacuation" show serves the settlement policy of the government, which raves about the importance of peace. Two families were evacuated with feigned force, in the face of feigned resistance, and the pictures were displayed all over the world; proof that there is a government in Israel. It's a false display. As this group was being evacuated, construction on hundreds of other homes in the territories continued, on stolen land.

But the settlers, of course, are the main beneficiaries of the "evacuation." After their violence caused the residents of 1,014 apartments and the owners of 1,829 businesses to leave, turning Hebron's center into a ghost town, the evacuation came and distinguished between one robbery and another. Is it forbidden to steal the two apartments in the marketplace? That means that all the other acts of robbery and oppression in the city are kosher in the government's eyes.

With typical cynicism and stratagems the settlers have built a network of intimidation and resistance, including their Judgment Day weapon - the refusal to obey orders - to signal once again to the Israeli public: Look how difficult it is to evacuate two families; forget about evacuating tens of thousands. They tried to do that during the Gaza disengagement, they continue to do so by bemoaning the Gaza evacuees' bitter fate, and now they are transferring the battle to the West Bank.

This spin works well: Israel is now discussing the marginal refusal by a dozen soldiers to obey orders to evacuate, instead of evacuating tens of thousands, and the president is proposing a territory exchange as a solution to the "impossible" evacuation of the settlements. That is how to terrorize, in close cooperation with the IDF and government. An evacuation that could have been carried out in minutes, in the middle of the night and by surprise, as is done to the Palestinians whose homes are demolished, was carried out in the spotlight, with several weeks' advance warning, to allow the settlers to produce their big show and benefit with pictures of it.

Nothing has changed in Hebron after the evacuation. Thousands of Palestinians who lost their property and their chance for a decent life, the victims of genuine ethnic cleansing, are doomed to a life of poverty and humiliation, and no one can help them. The settlers' celebration continues in full force, and most Israelis continue to stare at what is happening with horrifying indifference. They are shocked only at the highly publicized refusal of a handful of soldiers and are clicking their tongues: We will never be able to evacuate the settlers.
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  1.   Bare, excruciating, resounding truth....... 10:23  |  Esther 12/08/07
  2.   Ethnically Cleansing Jews Is A Crime 10:25  |  Yishai Kohen 12/08/07
  3.   Levy Is Right 10:30  |  Moshe 12/08/07
  4.   Hebron=Judaism`s 2nd Holiest City 10:42  |  nh 12/08/07
  5.   Where the rubber meets the Road Map 10:47  |  Ivar 12/08/07
  6.   Levy and his EXILIC NEUROSIS!!! 11:22  |  Ben 12/08/07
  7.   A boycott is essential 11:24  |  Nick Ferriman 12/08/07
  8.   If hebron settlers dissapeared today, NOTHING WOULD CHANGE. 11:32  |  Mitch Iginer 12/08/07
  9.   Milking the Hevron issue: 2nd try 11:38  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 12/08/07
  10.   Tip my hat to Gideon Levy 12:09  |  Ahmad Alanani 12/08/07
  11.   Arabs don`t want, can`t make and won`t maintain real peace, 12:34  |  Uzi 12/08/07
  12.   #8 Mitch Iginer 12:37  |  tbora 12/08/07
  13.   The right to be in Hebron 12:43  |  Colette 12/08/07
  14.   Bring on the boycott for this Apartheid State 12:48  |  Labhras 12/08/07
  15.   #9 Margie in Tel Aviv 13:00  |  lakshmi 12/08/07
  16.   #9 Margie in TA 13:02  |  Labhras 12/08/07
  17.   Gideon, you are a stinker 13:03  |  Dawud 12/08/07
  18.   Labhras& friends,fake alert,this childish fellow thinks he is 13:13  |  lakshmi 12/08/07
  19.   312tbora-Usurped from who?The Ottomans,British? 13:23  |  Mitch Iginer 12/08/07
  20.   Separate political entity west of the Jordan can never be viable 13:29  |  Uzi 12/08/07
  21.   Levy falsified by Rosner 13:30  |  Rowan Berkeley 12/08/07
  22.   Gideon the Cowardly, disengenuous 13:37  |  FOX 12/08/07
  23.   Maybe Israel should let Hamas to depose Abbas and smash Fatah in 13:45  |  Uzi 12/08/07
  24.   Hey Mr. Levy, Come to the Galilee 13:45  |  Tzfonit 12/08/07
  25.   Moshe #3 - good solution 13:50  |  dana 12/08/07
  26.   Give the Hebron settlers a choice 13:56  |  Tzfonit 12/08/07
  27.   Labras reveals murky depths 14:02  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 12/08/07
  28.   I salute FOX and Tzfonit 14:07  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 12/08/07
  29.   Uprooting Jews not under duress - what does it mean 14:25  |  Dr Yoram Shifftan 12/08/07
  30.   any settlers... 14:29  |  ravi 12/08/07
  31.   Gideon - Ignores History 14:51  |  Dr David I, Gross 12/08/07
  32.   #28 Margie in Tel Avis 15:02  |  lakshmi 12/08/07
  33.   There can be nothing wrong with Jewish settlers in Eretz Yisrael. 15:11  |  Uzi 12/08/07
  34.   Margie in Tel Aviv #28 15:13  |  GABE1 12/08/07
  35.   # 19 Mitch Iginer 15:14  |  tbora 12/08/07
  36.   Hebron evacuation 15:18  |  Nicole Monk 12/08/07
  37.   # 29 Dr Yoram Shifftan 15:24  |  tbora 12/08/07
  38.   @#24-Tzfonit TALKS To Tzfonit 15:26  |  GABE1 12/08/07
  39.   The real crime around here.... 15:28  |  Steven A. 12/08/07
  40.   # Gideon - Ignors history 15:31  |  tbora 12/08/07
  41.   FAILURE TO FIRE LEVY THE REAL CRIME 15:39  |  paul harris 12/08/07
  42.   # 33 Uzi 15:40  |  tbora 12/08/07
  43.   # 33 Uzi 15:40  |  tbora 12/08/07
  44.   Tzfonit COME BACK TO EARTH #24 15:42  |  GABE1 12/08/07
  45.   #26 Tzfonit- Give the Hebron settlers a choice 15:46  |  tbora 12/08/07
  46.   It`s hard to empathize with people who want you gone 15:56  |  Sam 12/08/07
  47.   Gideon Levy 16:01  |  Joseph 12/08/07
  48.   #23 Uzi --Maybe Israel 16:01  |  tbora 12/08/07
  49.   labras, boycott etc. 16:08  |  vladimir 12/08/07
  50.   QUESTION." Is there an intent to evacuate the SETTLEMENTS? 16:11  |  Mark S. 12/08/07
  51.   Gideon Levy 16:13  |  Aram 12/08/07
  52.   A MODEST PROPOSAL 16:14  |  Jay A Friedman 12/08/07
  53.   # 26 Tzfonit 16:17  |  Leo 12/08/07
  54.   #18, Lakshmi 16:29  |  Hannah 12/08/07
  55.   FAKE LAKSHMI ALERT! #15, 32 16:32  |  Hannah 12/08/07
  56.   Levy is right about one thing. Nobody is evacuating us! 16:36  |  Chaim 12/08/07
  57.   QUESTION"Is there an Intent toEVACUATE them 16:43  |  Mark S 12/08/07
  58.   Gabe, I`ll cut you a deal 16:49  |  Tzfonit 12/08/07
  59.   Is tzfonit CONFUSED?????? 16:59  |  GABE! 12/08/07
  60.   Tzfonit- YOU live on Arab-owned land; not the Jews of Hebron 17:06  |  Hebroni 12/08/07
  61.   #9 Margie, re Jews and Arabs loving each other 17:08  |  Ben Alofs 12/08/07
  62.   Ahmad Alanani 17:14  |  Nik Miller 12/08/07
  63.   So many DRS about it makes it sound like a HOSPITAL. 17:22  |  Conval.PT. 12/08/07
  64.   TZFONIT and her DEAL #36 17:34  |  GABE1 12/08/07
  65.   Water Torture 17:37  |  Mark Lincoln 12/08/07
  66.   Ben Alofs 17:39  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 12/08/07
  67.   The Israeli dilemma 17:43  |  Mark Lincoln 12/08/07
  68.   THE "NEW" LAKSHMI 17:47  |  Brant 12/08/07
  69.   #39 DR BEN THEY CAN LIVE TOGETHER OUTSIDE 17:49  |  paul harris 12/08/07
  70.   Tzfonit@36 ITS A DEAL 17:54  |  GABE1 12/08/07
  71.   Margie in Tel Aviv 17:55  |  Lynn 12/08/07
  72.   # 12 tbora in karachi 17:58  |  Lynn 12/08/07
  73.   Hebron # 38 Jewish Owned Land 18:02  |  Tzfonit 12/08/07
  74.   Margie #9 18:07  |  guido 12/08/07
  75.   Brant 18:09  |  Hannah 12/08/07
  76.   Let them all return 18:13  |  Mark Marshall 12/08/07
  77.   Sorry Gabe. you already lost 18:23  |  Tzfonit 12/08/07
  78.   Evacuation? 18:29  |  Moshe 12/08/07
  79.   # 53 Lynn --Israel is root cause of terrorism 18:41  |  tbora 12/08/07
  80.   # Margie in TA Agrees with me. 18:42  |  Labhras 12/08/07
  81.   I knew you wouldnt get it Lhabras 18:55  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 12/08/07
  82.   #2, Yishai Kohen 18:58  |  Hannah 12/08/07
  83.   The Hebron settlers should be moved 19:02  |  Maimon 12/08/07
  84.   Settlers? 19:08  |  Patrick 12/08/07
  85.   #4, nh 19:12  |  Hannah 12/08/07
  86.   "81" Margie in TA 19:17  |  Labhras 12/08/07
  87.   Ahmed Alanani 19:21  |  Lynn 12/08/07
  88.   # 21 Rowan of London, England 19:24  |  Lynn 12/08/07
  89.   #68, Brant 19:26  |  Hannah 12/08/07
  90.   FALSE HANNAH ALERT! #75 19:27  |  Hannah 12/08/07
  91.   arab Hannah 19:28  |  Palindromic Hannah 12/08/07
  92.   # 79 tbora 19:34  |  Lynn 12/08/07
  93.   #79, Tbora 19:34  |  Hannah 12/08/07
  94.   #66 TLV MARGE 19:43  |  Courcey 12/08/07
  95.   33..uzi... maybe nothing wrong....but 19:45  |  ravi 12/08/07
  96.   ben alofs and his concern for loving people 19:57  |  scallywag 12/08/07
  97.   Gideon Levy supports ethnic cleansing 20:01  |  Joe 12/08/07
  98.   Labhras 20:06  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 12/08/07
  99.   Gideon is right 20:35  |  Independent 12/08/07
  100.   courcey - marriages and 78% 20:42  |  scallywag 12/08/07
  101.   For Mark Lincoln # 67 20:45  |  Bram Devlin 12/08/07
  102.   94, Courcey 20:46  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 12/08/07
  103.   ravi, Most of the settlements are viable and the few that are not 20:58  |  Uzi 12/08/07
  104.   #79 TBORA HAS BRAIN DAMAGE 21:24  |  paul harris 12/08/07
  105.   A Shame Upon Our House. 21:31  |  SM 12/08/07
  106.   #79 21:40  |  Moshe 12/08/07
  107.   * Mithc. Gee. I wonder why the Palestinians act that way? After 21:57  |  Apartheid 12/08/07
  108.   Why cannot the Jews 22:06  |  KUTW 12/08/07
  109.   Question to everybody: Is it true that UNRWA is no longer... 22:23  |  J.M.Jordan 12/08/07
  110.   KUTU-"Why cannot Jews live in Hebron?" 22:35  |  Sam 12/08/07
  111.   # 6 Levy & his neurosis 22:45  |  Daniel Hod 12/08/07
  112.   # 103 J M Jordan 23:05  |  Lynn 12/08/07
  113.   # 104 Sam of Canada 23:06  |  Lynn 12/08/07
  114.   courcey - marriages and 78% 23:07  |  scallywag 12/08/07
  115.   j. m. jordan - genocide? 23:10  |  scallywag 12/08/07
  116.   107. Sam: -"Why cannot Jews live in Hebron?" 23:21  |  KUTW 12/08/07
  117.   And replace with whom hebrews in hebron. 00:17  |  jlynch 13/08/07
  118.   Hannah - to her, ethnic cleansing is no crime 00:19  |  reid 13/08/07
  119.   TBORA#79 00:22  |  Cyasher 13/08/07
  120.   KUTW-Western critics expect perfection from Jews 01:39  |  Sam 13/08/07
  121.   @77, tzfonit, you are dirty criminal joke, gabe1 01:40  |  vladimir 13/08/07
  122.   Tzfonit #77 01:44  |  GABE1 13/08/07
  123.   idiotic thora from idiotic karachi 01:46  |  vladimir 13/08/07
  124.   Margie in Tel Aviv 01:49  |  GABE! 13/08/07
  125.   palestinian truths 01:55  |  Jo Jo 13/08/07
  126.   Arab Claim to the Land of Their Victims 02:05  |  Efox 13/08/07
  127.   re: Independent 02:07  |  Efox 13/08/07
  128.   re: ravi 02:09  |  Efox 13/08/07
  129.   Hebron is Hebrhein 02:11  |  Efox 13/08/07
  130.   This is settlers terrorism. 04:03  |  Dutch 13/08/07
  131.   No 3 Moshe 04:31  |  Sara Gold 13/08/07
  132.   Evacuation is Gaza and worse. 04:36  |  Akram Zekaria 13/08/07
  133.   to Mitch Iginer 04:37  |  Sara Gold 13/08/07
  134.   Right on target, as always 05:03  |  Shelley 13/08/07
  135.   Bare, resounding, excruciating truth 05:06  |  Lillian 13/08/07
  136.   To Ivar in Estonia on Settlements 05:29  |  LillyElizabeth 13/08/07
  137.   Hey Tzfonit, come to Hevron 05:33  |  peter 13/08/07
  138.   Doesn`t happen often 05:38  |  paul 13/08/07
  139.   margie, 102 05:52  |  Sara Gold 13/08/07
  140.   # 102 Moshe ...part 2 06:00  |  Sara Gold 13/08/07
  141.   to Sara Gold 06:01  |  peter 13/08/07
  142.   how do you define viable... 06:31  |  ravi 13/08/07
  143.   Leave the Settlers Alone! 07:15  |  Eli 13/08/07
  144.   Settlers, a desease. 07:30  |  Niva dos Santos 13/08/07
  145.   peter #136 The Hardship and Valor 07:39  |  Tzfonit 13/08/07
  146.   LillyE. 135, public indifference largely created the Holocaust 07:43  |  Ivar 13/08/07
  147.   #109 J.M Jordan asks about UNRWA 07:43  |  Johnboy 13/08/07
  148.   Lillian No 134 07:47  |  Miriam 13/08/07
  149.   Paul No 137 07:50  |  Mary 13/08/07
  150.   Margie, Re; Milking Hebron... 08:12  |  Dutch 13/08/07
  151.   #143 NO THEY DIDNT SANTOS 10:04  |  paul harris 13/08/07
  152.   Gideon your not alone 10:18  |  Avi 13/08/07
  153.   after Margie in Tel Aviv #9 10:49  |  zeev 13/08/07
  154.   #149 Mary 11:07  |  paul 13/08/07
  155.   #145 Tzfonit forgetting roots 15:43  |  peter 13/08/07
  156.   disgusting artilce by an odious writer 15:50  |  eddie 13/08/07
  157.   #67 Mark Lincoln: The Israeli dilemma 15:57  |  J.M.Jordan 13/08/07
  158.   It`s Funny isn`t it.....? 20:26  |  Dagma 13/08/07
  159.   #67, Mark Lincoln, The Israeli dilemma 21:18  |  Jakecat3 13/08/07
  160.   67#Mark Lincoln:It is the Palestinians dilemma pure & simple. 22:28  |  Akram Zekaria 13/08/07
  161.   to KUTW #108 and Sam #110 01:28  |  zeev 14/08/07
  162.   To Peter 03:28  |  Sara Gold 14/08/07
  163.   Gideon Levy, Injustices should be made visable.... 08:46  |  Dutch 14/08/07
  164.   Gideon Levy, Thank you 11:06  |  Dutch 14/08/07
  165.   Tbora from Karachi 18:42  |  LillyElizabeth 14/08/07
  166.   to the nr 10- in year1929 there was no Israel 19:49  |  Yoram 14/08/07
  167.   In 1900 there were Jews living in Hebron muslims kiked them out 20:11  |  Yoram 14/08/07
  168.   jobe 01:38  |  ahmad 10/04/09
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