Why are the settlers being removed from the gaza strip? What are the
political benifits to Sharon by doing so?

Hello lzelnagar,

I have found several analyses of the Gaza withdrawal plan.  These
sources indicate several possible reasons for removal of settlers from
Gaza, including benefits to the peace process, the Israeli economy,
and Israeli security, and  the pressure of attacks by Palestinians. 
The benefits could amount to political benefits for Ariel Sharon. 
Moreover, Sharon might be gambling that if Israel removes these
settlements, it can maintain some other settlements in the West Bank.

"Q&A: Sharon's Gaza plan" (Last Updated: Tuesday, 21 June, 2005)
BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4094590.stm

"In Depth: Q & A on Israel's Pullout from Gaza," by Peter Kenyon (July 29, 2005)
NPR
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4775357

"Israeli Withdrawal From Gaza Explained," by Jefferson Morley (August 10, 2005)
washingtonpost.com
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/10/AR2005081000713.html

"Q&A: The Gaza Withdrawal"
CTV.ca
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1081952201569_77361401

"Q&A: the Gaza pullout," by Stephen Farrell (August 12, 2005)
Times Online
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,251-1729929,00.html

"Q&A: The Gaza Withdrawal" (August 8, 2005)
The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/cfr/international/slot2_080805.html

"Why is Israel pulling out settlers from Gaza, West Bank?" (August 15, 2005)
Christian Science Monitor
http://search.csmonitor.com/search_content/0815/p10s01-wome.html

- justaskscott


Search strategy --

Searched on Google for:

sharon gaza faq
sharon gaza q&a

That is astonishingly similar to a later question - that I saw earlier.

The simple answer is that they are 'bits of pepper'

I honestly doubt that Sharon cares much about 'political benefits'
- the Israelis are just fed up, they do not like being bombed, shot at
and having rockets fired at them.

The really interesting bit will be the West Bank
- that will require some real finesse

I have to object to the word "settlers". As Jews and arabs have lived
side-by-side in Gaza for centuries this word is phenomenally out of
context for this situation.

After 1948 the Jews of Gaza were driven from their homes and forced to
take up residence inside Israel (at least, those who survived the
massacres did). After 1967 the Israeli government carried out a policy
of repopulating the depopulated areas such as the Gaza Strip. While
not all Jews who returned to Gaza had been original residents; it
would have been impossible to reach the original residents due to a
number of factors:

- The original residents had learned to be wary of the arabs, who
periodically would take to the streets to butcher them (see for
example the Nebi Moussa Massacre, the Bab el Wad Massacre and the
Hebron Massacre). They were therefore unlikely to voluntarily return.

- World opinion considered Gaza to be Egyptian land after 1948 and
does not take into account the long-standing Jewish population nor the
importance of Gaza as an economic Jewish center throughout Ottoman
times. Egypt most certainly did not exist in its current form before
1948 and its present borders are a purely arbitrary British
construction.

- A huge influx of arabs from about 1920 destabilized the Gaza Strip
and prevented Jews from going back to live inside Gaza City. The
result of such a move would have been an inevitable massacre.

- Jews willing to risk the consequences were therefore placed in
population centers outside arab territory and protected by soldiers.
The logical path to take would have been a reunification of the strip
with Jews returning to live in Gaza City under a palestinian
leadership willing to take responsibility for their safety.