Gaza folo

The hardliners resisting the Gaza pull-out are now being forced out by the Israeli government. Today unarmed policemen evacuated a synagogue where several protesters had gathered. The New York Times reports. LINK

An excerpt:

The Israeli police resorted to using a water cannon, fire extinguishers, cranes, wire cutters and special forces to secure control over the synagogue here. About 160 young protesters, who had prepared themselves for assault with the advice of a reserve colonel, Moshe Leshem, held the unarmed police at bay for two and half hours. Four hours after the first police advance on the synagogue, at 9 p.m., officers were still hauling protesters out and loading them on buses headed for detention. Forty-four police officers and soldiers were injured, nearly all of them lightly.

On the same day, the Times, not exactly a bastion of anti-Israeli sentiment, should be lauded for offering a lead editorial praising the evacuation of settlers. LINK

From the editorial:

One Israeli official, trying to explain the reluctance of Israel to withdraw from Gaza, recently maintained that Israeli leaders had never intended to keep Gaza, but had simply sought to use the territory as a negotiating chip. "The problem," he said, "is that Israel fell in love with its chips." So Israeli leaders allowed Jewish settlers to take over the best parts of the captured land.

It cannot be easy to be escorted out of one's home by soldiers. And there is plenty of reason to worry about how the new Gaza will be governed. But it's past time - 38 years past, to be exact - to give the Palestinians there a chance at a better life.

Hear hear.