A Not-So-Happy Anniversary

The following is my latest column, which appeared in The Jewish Press and The Jewish Link of Bergen County, in which I mark the ninth anniversary of Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip by looking back at what transpired in August 2005 and assessing the sociological and political ramifications of the expulsion:

A NOT-SO-HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

By: N. Aaron Troodler, Esq.

This week, the State of Israel had an anniversary of sorts; however, it was by no means a celebratory event. There was no excitement, as there is with Yom Ha’Atzmaut, when we commemorate the occasion of Israel’s birth as a nation in 1948. There was no exultation, as there is on Yom Yerushalayim, when we remember the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967. In fact, many people failed to note that there was a date on the calendar that was worth remembering.

This week marked the ninth anniversary of the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. In August 2005, then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon oversaw one of the most dark and disturbing chapters in Israel’s history when he ordered the expulsion of approximately 9,000 Jews from Gaza. Entire communities were uprooted, over 2,500 homes were destroyed, and countless families were displaced.

The disturbing images of Jews forcibly removing their fellow Jews from their homes left an indelible mark on the psyche of the Jewish Nation. Watching men and women, young and old, weep as they were escorted from their homes was especially painful, and seeing children forced to leave the only home they had ever known was absolutely heart-wrenching.

We watched with horror as Jewish residents who refused to leave willingly clashed with the Jewish soldiers tasked with evicting them from their homes. As the residents barricaded themselves inside synagogues and climbed atop the roofs of their homes in acts of defiance, we shuddered and wondered how the situation has spiraled out of control so quickly.

Ultimately, every single Jewish resident was evacuated from Gaza, and shortly thereafter the Israel Defense Forces completely withdrew from the area, thereby ceding control of Gaza to the Palestinians.

Following the expulsion from Gaza, the situation for the former residents worsened considerably. The financial compensation promised by the Israeli government never fully materialized. People were relocated to temporary domiciles. The unemployment rate amongst the residents skyrocketed. The sociological ramifications of the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza were quite dire.

The political consequences, as we know, were calamitous. Although Prime Minister Sharon believed the unilateral withdrawal from Gaza would improve Israel’s security and burnish its reputation in the international community, his dream never materialized.

Hamas took control of Gaza and quickly turned into a hotbed of terrorism and turmoil. What had been vibrant bastions of Jewish life morphed into the main command center for Hamas’ jihad against Israel.

Over the past several weeks, more than 3,300 rockets were fired from Gaza by Hamas terrorists. Those are in addition to the over 11,000 rockets that have been fired at Israel from Gaza since the withdrawal in 2005.

In addition to Operation Protective Edge, Israel was forced to embark on Operation Pillar of Defense in 2012 in response to relentless rocket fire from Gaza. In 2008, Israel launched Operation Cast Lead in an effort to impair Hamas’ ability to launch rockets at Israeli cities.

I recognize that hindsight is 20/20, and at this juncture it is easy to ascertain that the withdrawal from the Gaza Strip nine years ago did not enhance Israel’s security. The fact that over 5 million Israelis live under a constant threat of rocket attacks emanating from Gaza is a stark and scary reminder of how vulnerable Israel has become after it chose to vacate Gaza.

Rather than questioning Sharon’s decision to leave Gaza devoid of any trace of the Israeli presence that existed prior to the withdrawal in 2005, we must look to the future and ask what now? What happens next?

The reality is that over the past several weeks we witnessed the increased firepower that Hamas has amassed, including long-range rockets that can strike Israeli cities, which until now had been considered out of harm’s way. We saw the callous disregard that Hamas has for human life and the intense hatred it harbors towards Israel.

Israel’s military strikes may have damaged Hamas, but they did not destroy Hamas. As such, the rockets will likely continue flying towards Israel, and Hamas’ never-ending attempts to carry out acts of terror against Israel will endure.

The challenge Israel faces is how to deal with an entity intent on destroying it. Hamas rules Gaza with an iron fist and will not easily relinquish its control over the area. What Israel must do is architect a containment mechanism intended to neutralize Hamas. A cease fire may be a temporary fix, but based on Hamas’ track record, it is by no means a permanent solution. Devising ways to halt funding to Hamas and engaging in an effort to further marginalize Hamas from the rest of the world may be start.

As we mark the ninth anniversary of the expulsion from Gaza, we not only remember and empathize with the families that were driven from their homes; we also remember the many people who have lost their lives as a direct result of Hamas being handed the keys to Gaza on a silver platter. For Israel, this is a not-so-happy anniversary.

N. Aaron Troodler is an attorney and principal of Paul Revere Public Relations, a public relations and political consulting firm. Visit him on the Web at TroodlersTake.blogspot.com, www.PaulReverePR.com, or www.JewishWorldPR.com. You can also follow him on Twitter: @troodler