More than 8,000 Israeli settlerswill be forced to abandon theirhomes in the Gaza Strip this sum-mer under Ariel Sharon’s contro-versial disengagement plan.SHIRA SCHOENBERG traveledto Gush Katif and foundthat its residents are mak-ing no plans to leave.

As Itzik Amergisprawls on astone ledge

outside the synagogue of GaneiTal, his eyes light up as he de-scribes his daughter-in-law,Ahuva, who was murdered onthe road to Gush Katif by Arabterrorists: “She was 30 yearsold, a lawyer, successful, beau-tiful, with two babies.” His darkskin toughened by Israeli sun,Amergi points out the Jeru-salem stone inscribed with a

song Ahuva wrote. The stonesits in the center of a gar-

den hemade inher memo-ry. Histone growstough andc e r t a i nwhen he isa s k e dabout dis-e n g a g e -ment. “Itwon’t hap-pen. But ifit does,we’ll takethe gardenwith us.”

A m e r -gi, likemany resi-dents ofG u s hKatif, thestrip of

Jewish set-t l e m e n t s

slated to be evacuated underPrime Minister Ariel Sharon’sdisengagement plan, has half alifetime of memories in hiscommunity with no plans for“the day after.” The sandy agri-cultural oasis in the Gaza Stripis his home, and he believes itwill remain so for years tocome.

According to the region’shead tour guide, Naor Zilber-man, of 8,000 residents in 21Gaza Jewish communities (16of which are in Gush Katif), nota single family has evacuatedyet. In fact, 120 new familiesarrived in the last month. Theweek before Pesach, settlersdedicated a new synagogue inKfar Darom, and a family fin-ished building a new house inNeve Dekalim. Another resi-dent is in the middle of buildinga new home.

Zilberman, a young, four-year resident of Tel Katifa witha large knitted kipah and dan-gling tzitzit, explained: “Thesituation is not easy, but wecontinue to build, repair, be-lieve. We build as if there is nodisengagement. My grandpar-ents came from Yemen; my par-ents came from Poland. I’m inIsrael - I’m not leaving.”

The government does not of-ficially recognize his communi-ty, Tel Katifa, which does noteven appear on a map. The elec-

8 THE JEWISH ADVOCATE, MAY 20 - 26, 2005

“We won’t leave. Theywill have to pick us uplike sacks of potatoes”

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GUSH KATIF SETTLERS EXPRESS THEIR

Itzik Amergi has established a garden in memory of his daughter-in-law, Ahuva

A memorial built by local youth in memory of Tali

Hatuel and her four children

Photos by Shira Schoenberg

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THE JEWISH ADVOCATE, MAY 20 - 26, 2005 9

tricity, sewage and other insti-tutions are registered under thenames of neighboring settle-ments. Yet Tel Katifa boasts 26families with 62 children, manyof whom seemed unaware ofimpending danger as theyplayed catch and rode their tri-cycles on the pavement outsidetheir day care caravan.

Zilberman said that after theevacuation of Yamit in the SinaiPeninsula in a 1982 peaceagreement with Egypt, some ofthe houses were brought toGush Katif. Today, he pointswith pride to a ceramic sculp-ture commemorating Yamit fill-ing a wall of a hesder yeshiva inNeve Dekalim, noting that thesculpture is the only Israelicommemoration of Yamit. Zil-berman said he does not believeGush Katif will be anotherYamit. “We’re continuing lifehere like normal. People arestrong. We have faith that we’llprevail.”

Since the region has beenthrust into the spotlight, visitorshave flocked to Gush Katif’ssomber memorials, airy syna-gogues and sun-baked beach.Tourists snap pictures inside asmall wooden shed filled withdrink and food for soldiers. Theshed cost NIS 60,000 ($13,730)and was built by Gush Katif’syouth in memory of Tali Hatuel,who was killed a year ago withher four children at the Kissu-fim crossing. Yeshivat Hakotel,based in the Old City of Jeru-salem, sent 15 students and tworabbis to study in Gush Katif. Inthe region’s smallest settlement,a beachside caravan communityof 16 families called ShiratHaYam, visitors from across thecountry bask in the hot sun andwade in the Mediterranean Sea.A group of schoolchildren fromKibbutz Ein Tzurim run acrossthe sand. According to Zilber-man, 180,000 tourists visitedduring the week of Pesach, atime when Israelis tradition-ally use their vacation totravel around the country.

But for most resi-dents, life continues asusual, and they are mak-ing no plans to leave.Noah and Keren Laxhave lived in Ganei Talfor 23 years, raising sixc h i l -d r e na n dg r o w i n gc h e r r ytoma-t o e sa n daloe vera.

Noah said living in GushKatif has given his family astrong sense of love for Israel:the land, the nation and theTorah. “If we don’t keep one

of these three, we don’t exist.We assimilate, as in America,”he said.

The couple has no plans tomove their belongings. Noahasked: “Where can I take mythings? To where can we go? Toa hotel? Will the governmentcreate for me a place to work?Houses? Electricity?” Evenwith the proposed compensa-tion, he said, “the governmentis stealing 60 percent of thevalue of my property.”

Although the governmentsent them forms to file for com-pensation, Keren refuses totouch them. Sounding near tearsas she flipped through a packetof forms, Keren said: “I don’twant to be a part of this, to getmoney to be expelled. I won’tfill it out. They can do thatthemselves.”

Keren added: “They want touproot cemeteries, families.We’re a special community, wewant to stay together. There’s alack of justice. We’re told leaveyour greenhouse, your house,nice and orderly. I should leavewhat we built? David Hatuel’sfamily was murdered and nowit’s possible the terrorist whokilled his family will live in hishouse?”

If the IDF tries to evacuatethem, Keren said, “We’re notleaving by our own power. Iwon’t raise a hand against a sol-dier, but they’ll have to pick usup like sacks of potatoes.”

Anita Tucker, who madealiya from Brooklyn, N.Y., has

grown cel-ery inthe set-t lementof Net-

zer Haz-ani for 29

years andwas one

of the first residents of GushKatif. During the current intifa-da, a Kassam rocket fell nearher living room window, blow-ing glass inside toward hergrandchildren, who were insideplaying with their toys. Miracu-lously, they survived without ascratch. But this did not dis-suade her from wanting to live

there: “The way to fight terroris not by giving in. Neigh-

bors have to live peacefully.If they can’t, they shouldleave. Why me? I didn’tshoot anyone.”

Like other long-timeresidents, she has no

plans to move.

NEXTWEEK: In

part two of theJewish Advo-

cate’s exclusivefocus on the impact of

Ariel Sharon’s withdrawalplan, Shira Schoenberg

considers the effect disen-gagement will have on

Gush Katif’s $60 million-a-year agricultural

industry.

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HEARTBREAK OVER DISENGAGEMENT

Keren Lax holds a Kassam rocket

Fact fileThe Gaza Strip is 223

square miles, and it is hometo 1.3 million Palestiniansand 8,000 Jews. Jews control25 square miles (11 percent),although more Arabs thanJews live in the Jewish-con-trolled area.

The Jewish settlements inGaza include:

21 communities

36 synagogues

48 graves

5 elementary schools

with 1,150 students

3 high schools with 387

students

6 yeshivot with over 400

students

• Neve Dekalim is thebiggest community with 670families, including a numberof houses built two years agounder Ariel Sharon.• Shirat HaYam is the smallestcommunity with 16 families.• There have been 11,000 at-tempted terror attacks in theregion since September2000, which have killed 94Israelis, including 27 civil-ians and 67 soldiers.

Compiled by Head GushKatif Travel Guide Naor Zil-berman, Gaza RegionalCouncil, and Gush Katif res-ident Anita Tucker