... weeks before the expulsion? 'There is a solution for every evacuee!' Now this proves to be just a PR slogan and another broken promise. Shame on this government!!

When companies in Israel moved into the occupied territories? What goes around comes around!

B"H I really do not think unemployment in Israel skyrocketed to 78 percent because companies "moved" to grow food, cows, and flowers. What went around did not yet go around yet, and you should be very glad about that in Tel Aviv. Time for a revisit to the petting zoo, to see how real animals are caged. At least they are fed and have no bills for houses and services that were decimated by the government. Some might call it sensitivity training. Others experience such unfortunate creulty now as a Kadima reality show.

I can think of a number of companies that moved into the occupied territories for the tax benefits and in some cases cheap labor -- a few paper goods companies, a distillery (not a winery) and a number of food companies come quickly to mind (but I think we aren't supposed to post brand names, and I avoided doing that on the chocolate thread here). Oh, and there's one cosmetic company and a clothing manufactuer. I know someone personally who lost his business, a religious chap, because salad greens grown in Israel were no longer considered Kosher in restaurants. He's still relgious, but his politics have moved, shall we say, a tad left.

The so-called "permanent homes" to which Basi refers are in fact caravan camps. Even according to the official terminology of the Disengagement Authority (according to Chaim Altman, spokesman), the term is "Immediate" (where several hundred families still live), "temporary" (where the others live) and "permanent" - the only ones living this way are the 30+ from northern Samaria who took the money and bought apartments in the Afula area. More details on the real story at: www.israelbehindthenews.com/katif.htm. Toby Klein Greenwald Center for Near East Policy Research