Has Anyone Seen Gaza?

This is a translation of a letter written by Uri Gav, a refugee from Ganei Tal in Gush Katif. It is directed to the world community and those Jews who supported Sharon's expulsion plan. This letter was published in the Hebrew newspaper HaTzofeh on Friday the 5th of Elul.

His words speak for themsleves.

Has Anyone Seen Gaza?

Has anyone seen Gaza?

Now, that all is destroyed, finished, dried out, there's one question hanging in the air, screaming out the lie with all its might, the lie that you've tried very hard to hide. But we see it all so clearly.

Has anyone seen Gaza?

In all the pictures that were taken among the scattered homes, on the paths, in the sea of teenage girls and boys, the pride of this country, between one synagogue and the next, between all the tears and cries, on the lawns that were planted with tears and devotion, in the kindergartens, yeshivas, libraries, on the shores of the sea, in the grocery, in the passages between the notices has anyone seen Gaza?

For years you're screaming that we are living within a Palestinian population. For years you're yelling that our soldiers are being killed protecting 2nd rate citizens. For years you're inciting an entire nation through the media against law abiding, tax paying citizens who serve in the army. For years you cry about the money that is streaming to the "settlements,? while the millions of dollars of debts owed by the kibbutzim are being dissolved by the government and will never be repaid. For years you protest that if the territories are "returned” peace will reign.

Wait a minute, Has anyone seen Gaza?

Finally, there were cameras; you have seen the communities and all the truth can be thrown in your faces: If we had been truly sitting in Gaza, you would have seen it! If we were really sitting inside a very crowded civilian population, as was presented all the time it would have been seen on the screen! The panorama would have been crowded buildings, with neither grass nor paths and white buildings! The best "right-wing" camera couldn't hide it.

"We've left Gaza?" We weren't in Gaza!

Gaza is 20 kilometers away from Ganei Tal and even further from many of the other communities. For the sake of comparison, Kalkilya is in Kfar Saba.

Should we demolish Kfar Saba?

For years you hint about occupation, about the control of another nation, about the security situation. The time has come for you to admit, you simply hate us and it doesn't matter where we live. You see us as controlling and taking over, your greatest fear. Those who coerced the government until now are you. While we filled Rabin Square in Tel Aviv with hundreds of thousands of people, dispersed demonstrations throughout the country, Kfar Maimon, Netivot, Sderot you've coerced an entire nation with an idiotic minority's view. Those who controlled were you.

You don't know how to take us. That's your problem. We're religious, that makes us easy to hate, but we are also in the army, we're with a yarmulka on our heads, and that's a good enough reason, but we also work and are supporting ourselves.

The truth is, you're jealous of us. Jealous of the education that includes, Torah and reverence, of our emotionally healthy children, the marvelous youth imbued with direction and values, heeding their parents and educators, of mothers who are able to raise six children, work outside the house and still be able to smile.

We are not too worried. It seems that we are oppressed now. Our noses are in the ground, the tears that can't seem to stop, the children not registered in any school. Thousands of us have been added to the unemployment lists not due to any fault on our part. You've thrown us to the four corners of the country without pity.

Our house you've destroyed but we have a Father in heaven, friends, a G-d of vengeance is Hashem.

He sees, He hears, He knows. I'm not saying this to frighten anyone, just facts. You've declared war on Him, not on us. We have merited becoming stronger, despite your anger and hate.

Here's to a complete redemption and good news.

Israel
Zionism
Judaism