By Jerusalem Newswire Editorial Staff
Aug 19, 2005
Last week, Gaza was home to thousands of families living in 21 towns whose streets, swimming pools, synagogues, beaches and grass parks pulsated with Jewish life.
As Shabbat, the biblical day of rest honored by the Jewish nation, begins today, most of those towns stand empty and silent, awaiting their final destruction.
According to reports Friday, the Israeli government expects that by next Monday Jewish Gaza will be no more. The demolition of its former residents? homes is slated to begin Sunday ? even before the last Jews leave ? in preparation for the handover of all Gaza to Palestinian Arab control.
Early Friday, the Israeli security forces moved into Gadid, one of the few remaining communities expected to resist being uprooted.
As police and soldiers moved from house to house dragging the occupants to waiting buses, Israeli youngsters who had come to support their fellow Jews pelted the evacuation forces with eggs and stones.
Many of these boys and girls ? labeled ?infiltrators? by the government and the media - came from Judea and Samaria ? the so-called West Bank.
Aware of the ?realities? Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says led him to conclude Gaza must be emptied of Jews, they anticipate their homes will be next on the chopping block.
Security officials said the evacuation of Gadid would be completed by sundown, at which point government forces would halt all further withdrawal efforts until Saturday evening in honor of the Shabbat.
On Thursday, security forces faced fierce resistance while removing Jews from the synagogues of Neve Dekalim and Kfar Darom.
The local police commander reportedly had tears streaming down his face as he delivered an ultimatum for the thousands of resisters in Neve Dekalim?s synagogue to vacate the premises.
In the end there was no violence, but most insisted police and soldiers would have to carry them from their longtime house of worship.
In Kfar Darom, the scene was tenser, as fully armored riot police were sent to empty the local synagogue of men, women and children.
In a scene somewhat reminiscent of a medieval castle siege, some 200 Israeli youths made a determined last stand atop the synagogue?s roof, which they had encircled with razor wire.
As two massive cranes hoisted containers converted into cages towards the roof, a water cannon directed powerful streams at the protesters, and officers battled their way up assault ladders, while those they were after hurled water, eggs, paint thinner and paint down on them.
Some police officers screamed that their skin was burning. They ripped off their clothes and were dowsed with water. Initial reports said that acid had been dumped on them, but a doctor subsequently identified the thinners as the skin irritant.
Twenty police officers and 10 protesters were reportedly wounded in the clash.
It is expected that criminal charges will be filed against at least some of the Kfar Darom protestors.