Israel Matzav

How Israel treats Gaza refugees

The Talmud tells us that people who are kind to the cruel end up being cruel to the kind. For too long, Israel has been kind to the cruel 'Palestinians' giving them chance after chance to give up terrorism and live in peace. Now, they being cruel to the kind.

Jameel at the Muqata has the story of Chana and Eliezer Bart, who are refugees from Gaza. As you read this story, you should be aware that it is not unique. Five years of non-stop terrorism preceeded the expulsion of Gaza's Jews. Many others were hurt:

Eliezer and Chana Bart lived in the Gush Katif community of Kfar Darom for over 18 years until they and their eight children were "removed" in accordance with Prime Minister Sharon's disengagement plan.

Chana was paralyzed in the lower half of her body in a terrorist shooting attack in 2002, and has been confined to a wheelchair ever since. Two years later - a day after Sharon's bombshell announcement of his Disengagement plan to remove all the Jews of Gaza frp, their homes - Chana and Eliezer celebrated the brit [ritual circumcision] of their week-old son. They named him Amichai [My Nation Lives] Yisrael.

To make the Bart's home wheelchair accessable for Chana, the home was redone with ramps and wider doorways and their house extending past the "official" border of Kfar Darom. The Bart's had talks with their Arab neighbors in order to buy the extra land, purchased the land legally, received title and deed to the land, and received all the necessary permits and authorizations to build there from the IDF Civil Administration.

However...the SELA "Disengagement Agency" which reports directly to Ehud Olmert, has decided that since, in their view, the Bart's home in Kfar Darom was outside the border of the official "SELA" map -- they will receive ZERO compensation for their 18 years of living there, and ZERO compensation for their destroyed home.

Eliezer [Bart] repeated the charge heard by others who were thrown out of Gush Katif: "It's a terrible feeling to see respected and well-educated people sitting on the Disengaement Authority committee, yet they have no heart. They simply treat us coldly and with great hostility... On a personal level, we invested all the money that we had - the money we received for the injuries caused to Chana, and many loans, in order to help our family live."

The Disengagement Authority can be faxed at 02 (or +972-2 from abroad) 652-9217. For those who cannot fax, email is second-best: "sela@sela.pmo.gov.il"

Read the whole thing.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:30 AM