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The expulsion of Jewish residents of Gush Katif was an excruciatingly painful event -- even if you weren't there. Scenes of pleading homeowners and sympathetic but implacable evacuation forces played over and over on FOXNews. Anyone watching these human dramas without sobbing along with them simply has no soul. The images of desperate young men inside and atop synagogues fighting against the troopers – Jews fighting against Jews with sand, paint, and water cannons – brought particularly bitter tears to my eyes.

From the very first moment when we heard the unbelievable words coming out of Ariel Sharon’s mouth, I (like so many others) have been firmly against his expulsion plan. I sent letters to government officials in the USA and Israel; posted opinion pieces and images on my websites; preached not only to friends and family but to the merest acquaintances; expanded my wardrobe to include many articles of orange; and prayed and prayed and prayed. 

Time after time I repeated the usual arguments to anyone willing to listen (and a few unwilling audiences): not only was it religious bigotry to render Gaza Judenrein, but appeasing terrorism by handing over these strategic lands threatened not only Israel’s security but the safety of all non-Moslems throughout the world. 

Until the last moment I believed fervently that the expulsion would not happen. That G-d would not let it happen. As we all know, it happened. And so there had to have been a reason. But what reason could there be? 

My husband, on the other hand, from the very first moment expressed another perspective. While he detested the idea of decent, hard-working, and pious people being torn from their homes and communities because they were of the "wrong" race, he thought (and still thinks) that the gathering-in of Jewish people to “defensible borders” is the sensible and considered course of action. It’s not that he believes that The Jewish State should be shrunken to the size of Hackensack, a fence built around its entire perimeter, and the country renamed Warsaw. Or that the Arabs/Moslems have any legitimate claim to the lands they are illegally occupying. Quite the opposite. 

Many times I pointed out to him that concentrating the Jewish people into a smaller area would make it easier to wipe them out. Not only that, but Gaza would become the base for all terrorists from around the world. They would be able to conveniently coordinate attacks against Europe (his native continent) and the USA, like the August 19th assault on USA military vessels by Jordanian Arabs/Moslems, which was just the opening volley. To which he replied: “Good.” 

He continued: “The way things are now, these guys are spread all over the place. They tend to live in remote areas that are difficult to infiltrate, or they move from place to place.  Military actions against them are very costly in both actual monetary expenses and in loss of life. And while we may know what countries they’re living in, we can’t attack them all because we can’t go to war with every country that harbours a handful of murderous misfits. 

“So let Gaza become the sovereign state of Palastan. Let their government gather all the terrorist groups into that small area, and buy them all kinds of military equipment. Let them make it a “safe haven” for these bloodthirsty killers. Then, as soon as they look like they’re about to make their first strike, we’ll make ours. And ours will be bigger and badder. We’ll finally be able to declare war on a specific country … and just wipe these guys off the map once and for all. 

“Yes, having them all in one place will make it much easier for the civilized world to win the 'war on terrorists.' And after it's won, Israel can have her entire country back.”   

A recent article by Beth Goodtree titled A Fire on the Wall of Gaza expresses a similar viewpoint. Ms. Goodtree cites Biblical references for the current expulsions as well as what they portend. And what the Bible foretells does not appear to be good news for the Arabs/Moslems of Gaza. The interpretations merit examination and consideration.   

Ariel Sharon chose to make his announcement to remove all Jewish residents from Gaza and parts of Shomron last year on the same date in history when Abraham Lincoln was shot and when Titanic hit the iceberg. His plan was to begin the expulsions on Tisha B’Av, the date when the First and Second Temples were destroyed and numerous other tragedies befell our people. In Judaism there are no coincidences; these calamitous timings were predetermined -- for a reason.

While I can’t say that any of these concepts have given me comfort, they have brought about some clarity and altered my perspective on the fate of the “settlements.” It may not seem possible right now, but I believe that at some point we will realize that getting the Jewish people out of Gaza before the area meets its destiny was the correct thing to do (and not for the “painful concessions” reasons promoted by Sharon, Bush, and Rice). 

I don’t mean to trivialize this horrendous event. Nor do I presume to tell people who have just had the life they knew and loved ripped away from them that I have any idea how they feel, nor to tell them how they should feel. But perhaps we all need to get beyond the agony by remembering to have faith that everything happens for a reason. And the reason for this event seems to be revealing itself quickly and clearly. 

The communities and the way of life of Jewish Gaza have, for the moment, been destroyed. I grieve for the Jewish families who were forced to endure the pain of surrendering their homes, and who face a difficult present and an uncertain future. But they all have life. They will all have a future. 

And that is very likely far more than anyone can say about the murderous Arabs/Moslems. There’s an old saying that you should be careful what you wish for because you may just get it. And I suspect that the new residents of Gaza are going to get it very soon.

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Copyright © 2005 by Janis Badarau.

Janis Badarau is the editor and publisher of Over A Teacup, TeaGuide, and The Cat-Tea Corner. This re-edited article was originally published on August 21, 2005.

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