Question about Gaza?

[serryjw]

Why did they destroy all the homes?

[growlypants]

1. "Apparently" because the Palestinians didnt want ANYTHING

remaining the had to do with the Jews.

[Ian David]

2. The PLO told them to. They didn't want the Israelis to have anything...

to return home to if they decided to disobey the evacuation order.

It's a shame.

That was actually a very productive area with incredible farms and other businesses.

And within a few years, it will all be bare sand again.

Note to the PLO: A "scorched earth" policy is what you do when you're going to leave someplace behind. Not when you're going to move into the neighborhood.

[serryjw]

3. Thanks to both of you

I had not heard that

[Violet_Crumble]

8. They were both wrong...

The destruction of settler homes (all other buildings will remain, except for synagogues, which will either be destroyed or relocated) was agreed to between Israel and the PA. It was in the interests of both to do it - Israel removes any chance of extremist settlers returning, and for the Palestinians it removes the possibility of corrupt bureacrats moving into those homes. Palestinian families are extended ones and those homes would have been too small for many, as well as the fact that Gaza being the most densely populated area on earth needs to have high rise buildings to house its population...

Violet...

[Spinzonner]

4. The greenhouses were left by mutual agreement

[Scurrilous]

6. Correct:

Deal Preserves Greenhouses in Gaza Pullout

http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-08-13-voa32.cfm

<snip>

"When Israeli settlers begin leaving Gaza Monday, they will pack up all of their possessions, dismantle their homes and synagogues and dig up their cemeteries to rebury their dead elsewhere. But under a last minute deal, most of their greenhouses will stay.

Under a deal reached days before Israel's scheduled withdrawal from Gaza, special envoy James Wolfensohn raised some $14 million in private funds to buy about 1,000 settler greenhouses, and turn them over to the Palestinians.

Settler homes and buildings will be dismantled and recycled for Palestinian use under a separate arrangement between Israeli and Palestinian officials."

<snip>

"Israel's ambassador to Washington, Daniel Ayalon, says Israel's withdrawal from 21 Gaza settlements and four in the West Bank is not only a strategic move for peace, but is also a way to improve the Palestinians' living conditions.

"As we leave Gaza, and some parts of the West Bank, we are not leaving scorched earth. On the contrary, we are leaving behind means for them to take over and immediately better their situation," Mr. Ayalon said."

[WiseButAngrySara]

5. The whole thing was incredibly sad. I wondered why though, after

destroying the homes, (I thought it was done by Israel; thanks for the clarification) the Israeli Military is still there? I heard that on CNN. Also, why was this moved from general discussion? I was stunned by the absence of discussion, but I couldn't start posts myself until recently.

[Violet_Crumble]

9. The military aren't moving out until the end of the year...

..at least that's what I read this morning, though they're saying the military could be gone before then at the pace things are going...

Violet...

[eyl]

10. The demolitions themselves

haven't ended yet (that phase is expected to end on September 8).

As for the move, any threads having to do with Israel or the Israel-Arab conflict are moved here.

[WiseButAngrySara]

11. TU for the response to both questions. As for the move for the thread

to under Underground though, you didn't explain why. It seems like this topic should be open for discussion on general discussion-politics threads, where more could learn from and participate in.

[eyl]

12. As I understand

it's the board's policy to move threads dealing with the I/A conflict* here, because they have a high tendency to erupt into flame wars - this section has more stringent moderation and posting requirements.

*By default, threads dealing with Israel alone are also moved here, since there's no Israel country forum.

[WiseButAngrySara]

14. Thanks! Flame Wars...OMG! I didn't think this subject matter would be

so inflammatory, especially at DU. I've a lot to learn!

[Scurrilous]

7. Israelis and Palestinians Agree On Demolishing Houses in Gaza

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/20/international/middleeast/20rice.html?ex=1276920000&en=603823da89457c9a&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

<snip>

"Israel and the Palestinians have agreed to cooperate on the demolition of the 1,600 Gaza houses to be vacated by Israeli settlers in less than two months, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced Sunday. The agreement represented the first concrete Israeli-Palestinian cooperation in Gaza after many months of disputes.

Under the agreement, the Israelis will tear down the houses and the Palestinians will be paid to clean up the rubble, providing the Palestinians money for jobs while avoiding any need for the Israeli army to stay in Gaza for long beyond the evacuation."

<snip>

"The fate of the settler houses had emerged as a contentious issue partly because the Palestinian leadership did not consider them an efficient use of valuable land and wanted them destroyed. Israeli settlers in Gaza live in heavily guarded clusters of villas, many of them with gardens and seaside views. The Palestinians have always said they were not suitable for many of the 1.3 million Gaza residents who could end up living in the vacated settlement areas.

At the same time, many of the Israeli settlers, unhappy but resigned about leaving, wanted the Israeli military to demolish the houses because, they said, they did not wish to see Palestinian militants raising their flags on the houses the settlers had built. But senior Israeli officials, including the defense minister, Shaul Mofaz, had expressed reservations about cleaning up the rubble because that would have required that Israeli soldiers stay in Gaza many weeks beyond the evacuation, exposing them to potential attack."

[idontwantaname]

13. HIGH DENSITY HOUSING NEEDS

as with any plot of land which needs to accommodate a greater number of people than before.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=124&topic_id=99472&mesg_id=99483