Gaza IN #2
Dani, a resident of Gush Etzion, is staying in the community of Nisanit in Gaza.
With 60 of the original 73 families remaining and some 400 more visitors that arrived in recent weeks camping out, the spirits of the community is high.
Nisanit was expecting the army to arrive on Wednesday morning at dawn but all night they prayed for a miracle saying special penitential prayers.
Then the call came: the evacuation forces were not coming till Thursday.
Dani tells me that most of the families there have not even packed their homes.
"This is a Sephardic farming community," Dani explains referring to Jews of African descent.
"These are hard working people and they have no intention of packing their belongings," he said.
Though they respect others who have prepared to leave, many have said they'd rather know they didn't leave their homes willingly but were thrown out by a force out of their control.
Part of the community's decision to remain is its disgust with the government's failure to provide new homes.
"The government said the people will live in hotels for now," Dani explains.
"These people want their homes that they built and if they are forced to leave, they will take sleeping bags and go live at the kotel [the Western Wall] instead of some random hotel" he said.
Meanwhile, residents of Gaza have kept up with the news reports on the withdrawal process.
As two incidents of attacks on soldiers have been recorded, light scuffles have broken out from time to time between soldiers and civilians during the mainly peaceful stand offs. Leaders of the anti-disengagement movement have repeatedly called on the outside supporters who infiltrated Gaza to be mindful of their actions.
Those same 'outsider' who ventured into Gaza over the course of the last several weeks have marveled at the incredible bravery and spirit of the people that remain. They feel it is something the media has not captured, especially in the last few days.
"They support each other 24 hours a day," Dani says amazed. "The rabbi here doesn't sleep. He's been meeting with the residents one by one day and night attending to their needs."
While Jews are being forced from their homes in nearby Neve Dekalim and other communities, the Jews of Nisanit have one more day.
When the sun goes down tonight, they will pray again and hope for another miracle that the state that put them there will keep them there.
Gaza OUT
With 60 of the original 73 families remaining and some 400 more visitors that arrived in recent weeks camping out, the spirits of the community is high.
Nisanit was expecting the army to arrive on Wednesday morning at dawn but all night they prayed for a miracle saying special penitential prayers.
Then the call came: the evacuation forces were not coming till Thursday.
Dani tells me that most of the families there have not even packed their homes.
"This is a Sephardic farming community," Dani explains referring to Jews of African descent.
"These are hard working people and they have no intention of packing their belongings," he said.
Though they respect others who have prepared to leave, many have said they'd rather know they didn't leave their homes willingly but were thrown out by a force out of their control.
Part of the community's decision to remain is its disgust with the government's failure to provide new homes.
"The government said the people will live in hotels for now," Dani explains.
"These people want their homes that they built and if they are forced to leave, they will take sleeping bags and go live at the kotel [the Western Wall] instead of some random hotel" he said.
Meanwhile, residents of Gaza have kept up with the news reports on the withdrawal process.
As two incidents of attacks on soldiers have been recorded, light scuffles have broken out from time to time between soldiers and civilians during the mainly peaceful stand offs. Leaders of the anti-disengagement movement have repeatedly called on the outside supporters who infiltrated Gaza to be mindful of their actions.
Those same 'outsider' who ventured into Gaza over the course of the last several weeks have marveled at the incredible bravery and spirit of the people that remain. They feel it is something the media has not captured, especially in the last few days.
"They support each other 24 hours a day," Dani says amazed. "The rabbi here doesn't sleep. He's been meeting with the residents one by one day and night attending to their needs."
While Jews are being forced from their homes in nearby Neve Dekalim and other communities, the Jews of Nisanit have one more day.
When the sun goes down tonight, they will pray again and hope for another miracle that the state that put them there will keep them there.
Gaza OUT
posted by Amihai at Wednesday, August 17, 2005
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