Demolition of homes in Dugit
Photo: Tsafriri Abayov
Settler demolishes his own home
(Video) Eyal Goren, until recently of Dugit, watched Sunday how the first bulldozer approached his home for the past 14 years: I wanted to make certain my home would be demolished and no one else would live in it. It is terrible to watch this
Eyal Goren, until recently of Dugit, watched Sunday how the first bulldozer approached his home for the past 14 years. Goren signaled the driver to stop, and then made a rather unique request.
“I asked to sit by the driver, so I would be the one to strike the home first,” he said. “It was difficult, it was terrible, but I felt a need to do it – to come full circle. I wanted to make certain my home would be demolished and no one else would live in it. It is terrible to watch this.”
Demolition of settler homes in Pe'at Sadeh (Video: Nurit Belkin):
Goren’s neighbor stood teary-eyed during the demolition of his own home.
“We led a good life in this house. For me this destruction symbolizes the beginning of a new life,” he said.
A contractor in charge of the demolition works in Dugit and Pe’at Sadeh said he expects all the settlements’ homes to be destroyed by Monday, and the razing of Nisanit and Ele Sinai homes will take place during the week.
Another contractor working in Dugit said he wanted to remain unidentified.
“I do not want to be remembered as the contractor who wrecked people’s homes here, but we must do our job,” he said.
“I would rather destroy the homes than hand them over to the Palestinians. It is heart-wrenching, and I suppose it will be a while before I get over it.”
At around 4:30 p.m. Sunday the first bulldozer rammed into a home in Pe’at Sadeh, one of the first settlements to be evacuated voluntarily.
A note attached to the first house demolished in the settlement read, “Until when will our blood be sacrificed. We love you, dear home. We, the residents of Pe’at Sadeh, will be back.”
Most of the equipment in the homes was transferred to Palestinians residing in the Muasi area in Gaza.
Reporting from the field: Shmulik Hadad, Dugit
Ronny Sofer, Pe’at Sadeh
Hanan Greenberg, Gaza Strip
