"Demolitions mean Israel's Gaza pull-out could be delayed for months"

[bloom]

By Tim Butcher, in Jerusalem
(Filed: 21/07/2005)

It will take Israel until the end of the year to complete its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, officials acknowledged yesterday.
While Israel is still on target to remove all 8,000 Jewish settlers from Gaza by mid-September, a series of logistical problems obliges it to keep a presence in the disputed territory for several more months.

Much of the delay stems from the determination to demolish every building in Gaza's 21 settlements, a decision that was taken to avoid images of Palestinian extremists triumphantly occupying Jewish property. But the demolition will delay the international recognition that Ariel Sharon, the prime minister, is anxious to receive for leaving Gaza, ending an occupation that began in 1967.

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The demolition of every structure in the settlements, including thousands of houses, factories, farm outbuildings, offices and shops, will take time as it must be carried out without damaging the infrastructure - water supplies, sewage pipes, electricity mains, roads and bridges.

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This move is supported by the Palestinian Authority, which wants to build high-density housing on the land given up by Israel to house some of the 1.3 million Palestinians crowded into the parts of Gaza under the control of the authority.
But while the Palestinians and Israelis have agreed on the demolition, there have been unresolved discussions about what will happen to the 80,000 lorry loads of rubble.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/07/21/wmid21.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/07/21/ixportal.html

[wiggle-room]

1. They have to destroy the buildings before they leave?

what????

[bloom]

2. I hadn't been following

it that closely, either. I guess they've worked it out - except for the what is to happen with the rubble.

Too bad someone can't reuse some of it. So much destruction.

[wiggle-room]

3. freaking insane, imho

no good will

so many homeless people in the world, and great effort is going into making sure no one else will use these

people, or maybe just governments, act effin rediculous.

will we ever wake up

[DELUSIONAL]

4. That's US taxpayer money at work

[Behind the Aegis]

5. They get what they ask for

"so many homeless people in the world, and great effort is going into making sure no one else will use these" This is what the PA wants. Should Israel refuse it?

[wiggle-room]

7. I'm just shaking my head at the whole thing, man

wondering why people haven't evolved further by now

this is crazy behavior, at least from that perspective, from the perspective of looking at what the hell mankind is busy doing rather than seeing to its needs and exploring its possibilites.

on edit: you make it sound like the PA is responsible for the demolitions, and Israel is just accommodating them. But the article says Isreal did this because they didn't want pics of Palestinians in Israeli property.

and I do find it odd to cheer an occupying country simply because it appears it will, under pressure, end the occupation. Can you imagine demanding praise for bush and his actions once we leave Iraq (if we ever do).

[Behind the Aegis]

8. PA requests

"on edit: you make it sound like the PA is responsible for the demolitions, and Israel is just accommodating them. But the article says Israel did this because they didn't want pics of Palestinians in Israeli property."

The PA wanted it, Israel is obliging. There was a debate, not a few weeks ago, where Abbas kept vacillating. Israel is following through with the request. Shall the now be blamed for this?

Why not cheer? Would you prefer they stay? If not, then celebrate the end of the occupation of Gaza and the beginnings of the nation of Palestine. I know for some, they can NEVER cheer for anything Israeli and that is just sad.

[Violet_Crumble]

9. But it's not the beginnings of the nation of Palestine...

There's this slightly larger area called the West Bank that's still occupied, and Sharon has already stated there'll be no disengagement there. There's a long, long way to go before a Palestinian state comes into being...

Violet...

[eyl]

10. What Sharon stated

was that after the Gaza disengagement, anything further would be as in the road map; i.e., there will be no further unilateral disengagement there, but only as a result of negotiations.

[Behind the Aegis]

11. It is the beginning

It has to start somewhere. This is but the first step in the journey.

[wiggle-room]

12. your view is biased, imho

You cite my statement:

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"on edit: you make it sound like the PA is responsible for the demolitions, and Israel is just accommodating them. But the article says Israel did this because they didn't want pics of Palestinians in Israeli property."
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and argue against it, yet it is factually correct. The article says the agreement was agreed to by Israel and the PA - I never said it didn't. I said you made it sound like the PA insisted on the demolitions, when clearly, as I said, the article shares an Israeli interest in those demolitions as well. Its there in the article. I'm not going to pretend like I didn't see it, and its no less relevant than the other points of that article.

No, I don't feel like cheering Israel. Too many images of tanks rolling over people and their homes in my head for that.

I refer to the government of Israel, not the people. Some of the most beautiful pictures of protesting of our little war on an oppressed people came from Israel.

[Behind the Aegis]

13. sounds as if you are biased, as well. n/t

[wiggle-room]

14. could be n/t

[wiggle-room]

6. oops