Now they think of it?!

Really? Excuse me, but how dumb can they get?

Now, the Israeli court, rabbis, President, cabinet and other well-meaning people have woken up to the fact that Gush Katif wasn't just some camping site. It wasn't just a symbolic settlement with tents, lean-to's, and pre-fab shacks.

Honestly, I'm not impressed. Now there's pressure to preserve the synagogues, since according to Jewish Law it it forbidden to destroy them. This law certainly was well-known before Disengagement took place, and this law was certainly well-known before the disengagement Law was passed in the cabinet and Knesset.

In addition, the synagogues weren't hidden, nor kept secret. They were all prominently placed in their communities. So why now, all of a sudden, after the very last civilian was coerced from his home and school and yeshiva and farm and business... Why now have these people woken up?

Do you know what this reminds me of? It's like some guy who was watching a gang rape, after the rape, goes over to the exhausted, damaged, violated victim and then very "properly" covers her, so she won't be exposed. And he wants everyone to praise his act of decency.

Yes, that's what I think of Katzav and the rabbis and the politicians etc who are suddenly so concerned about the empty buildings, stripped of their holy books and sifrei Torah.

Now, the buildings, drenched in tears of those who had prayed there for a miracle. Now that the floor was polished by the dragged bodies. Now you think you can save it? Will that quell your guilt?

It's the month of Ellul, when we're supposed go over our year and discover our sins and repent. How can we, repent for the sin of Disengagement? Yes, it's a sin, and a complicated one, because it's not just a sin between ourselves and G-d. It's also a sin between ourselves and those who lost their homes, businesses, stability. And it's also a sin between ourselves and the Holy Land we are supposed to protect. No matter what we tried to do to prevent Disengagement, apparently it wasn't enough. We failed.

"Vi'al kulam, Elokai slichot, slach lanu, michal lanu, kaper lanu."
"For all these sins, G-d of Forgiveness, forgive us, pardon us, atone for us."