kickin' 'em when they're down

Here's the official announcement from the government about moving the graves from Gush Katif. Remember that Jews in Israel are buried in shrouds, thin fabric, so finding the remains is a ghoulish task of sifting the sands for bones, every last one. Yes, think about it. It's not like those American movies and TV shows, pulling out a nice, heavy intact coffin. This is more like on C.S.I., when some hiker comes across what looks like bones from a human hand, and the authorities start digging for the rest of the body, or more bodies.

Families, homeless families, at the catonic state after the shock of being truly evicted from their homes, their dream homes, in wonderful communities, who are now scattered all over in hotels and student dorms and have no idea what awaits them and where. Now the government is so efficiently calling them to a meeting to proceed with transferring the remains, the bones of the terror victims and those who died "natural deaths" and were buried in Gush Katif to be near their loved ones, in what was to be their "final resting places."

And now the mourners, still mourning, must intensify their mourning. They must cooperate with the authorities and pick new grave sites, and they must rip their clothes again and sit shiva for a symbolic day.



http://www.idf.il/
August 23rd, 2005
IDF SPOKESPERSON ANNOUNCEMENT
Meeting of family members in the cemetery of Gush Katif

In preparation for the exhumation and transfer of the 48 graves in the Gush Katif cemetery, among them three graves of IDF soldiers, family members of the deceased arrived at the cemetery today, August 23rd, 2005, in order to pay respects to their loved ones.
This mission of relocating the graves, which is due to be carried out in the beginning of next week, is sensitive and complicated and was assigned to the security establishment as part of the implementation of the Disengagement Plan. The mission of relocating the graves will be carried out according to Jewish law, and with the utmost sensitivity and honor.
In recent weeks IDF liaisons that deal with families of injured or deceased soldiers have been in contact with the families of both civilians and soldiers that are buried in the Gush Katif cemetery to coordinate the details regarding the new resting places of their loved ones.