Summer Team 05: Illegal Settlements in Gaza

Summer Team 05: Illegal Settlements in Gaza

ILLEGAL SETTLEMENTS IN GAZA AND DISENGAGEMENT
By Sr. Liz, IHM
July 10, 2005

By way of introduction:

You may remember that during Summer 2003 and Summer 2004 our MPT peace teams focused on the border neighborhoods of Rafah. This summer while we continue our peace work there, we are also visiting the Palestinian areas around nearby Israeli settlements.

Today I want to share some of our experiences and research regarding the so-called disengagement plan and the illegal Israeli settlements on Gaza.

REPORT 1 - DISENGAGEMENT?

Mr. Sharon's so called disengagement plan is included in major news stories around the world. It calls for the removal of all Israeli settlers and soldiers from Gaza under an Israeli timetable that keeps lengthening.

Gaza - an occupied land:

Gaza is a wonderful land and people.I am in awe of the beauty here.
However, there is also much inequality and injustice.

On the one hand, the Gaza Strip is home to 1.3 + million Palestinians including original families and refugee families. They live on one of the most densely populated areas on earth. In some ways Gaza is home to the world's largest prison because the State of Israel controls all external borders, crossing points, and some internal roads. In the Gazan sky there are Israeli fighter jets and Apache helicopters.
Along the Mediterranean coastline there are Israeli gunboats. At the crossing points and along the border with Egypt there are Israeli sniper towers, tanks, and bulldozers. And there are electrified fences and gun towers along the eastern border. Significantly the disengagement plan does not call for change in this regard.

The illegal settlements:
On the other hand there are the 21 illegal Israeli settlements. Each settlement is protected by the Israeli military. The 21 Gaza settlements house 9000 settlers who live in a privileged, protected system that is separated from Palestinian life.

Gaza belongs to the Palestinians. Yet, the 21 Israeli settlements take up 20% of the land area of Gaza. (Some Gaza experts believe that the settlements plus military bases consume at least 40% of the land area.) These settlements were established in the 1970s and 1980s.

Contradictions have been happening since Mr. Sharon announced the disengagement plan, including the construction of new settlement buildings, the arrival of "new settlers", and a new settlement highway. Gush Shalom aerial surveys taken in February 2005 indicated that considerable constructions were taking place inside settlement areas. International observers continued to report new construction during June 2005 in beach areas of the settlements. Two weeks ago there were media reports that busloads of new people from Israel were arriving at the settlements to prevent disengagement. In addition, all of us are eyewitnesses to a newly constructed settler highway that goes over the Abu holi checkpoint on its way to the sea.

At the same time we hear from Palestinians living near settlements that they have seen settlers packing up and preparing to leave. Our peace team saw the dismantling of greenhouses at one nearby settlement. Also two weeks ago the media reported that the Israeli army removed many new settlers identified as extremist, from Gush Katif, a settlement bloc near Rafah and from Muwassi-a Palestinian quarter of Rafah that is near a settlement..

Significantly Palestinians can only surmise what might happen because they are left out of disengagement planning. With customary Gazan wit, many Palestinians tell us that they would be happy to help the Israeli settlers and soldiers leave Gaza, but they haven't been asked!