It was a brave and noble thing for the Israelis to evacuate Gaza. The pain and sacrifice of separation was clearly visible in the faces of the settlers. The emotional impact on both the residents and the soldiers moving them out was clear for all to see.

Yet, it must be remembered that this was a tragic but necessary act. Ultimately, the decision to move out of Gaza was a practical one. The Israelis have an historic claim to territory on the shores of the Eastern Mediterranean, but so do the Palestinians. In recent history the Israelis seized territory following an aggressive war waged by Arab states in 1967. Following the war, Israel continued to hold territory seized from Egypt (Gaza) and Jordan (the West Bank), promising to return the land once it was secure.

The dream of the Israelis is to reconstruct their ancient state according to its historic boundaries. These dreams are being deconstructed by their greatest modern proponent: Ariel Sharon.

Having made the practical decision that these territories will never be secure, at least in Gaza, he has reformed his ideas and has become the tragic hero in a great drama played out in historic proportions.

Tim Dineen
Greensboro