Decision 2006: Disgruntled evacuees seek revenge

Former Gush Katif settlers currently staying in Jerusalem hotel speak of government’s ‘betrayal,’ say voting for Sharon’s Kadima party not an option: 'Of course I would be happy to see Kadima collapse, but now we are focusing on helping ourselves'

Miri Chason |Published: 12.02.05 , 20:27

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has betrayed our trust. In the upcoming elections I will put a note reading, ‘I choose God’ in the ballot box, Gush Katif evacuee Yaakov Cohen who is currently resident in Jerusalem’s Shalom hotel, told Ynet.

During this past year, the year of disengagement, the Gush Katif settlers, and later evacuees, had repeatedly threatened that they would get their revenge on all those who had promised to protect them, but later supported the Gaza evacuation. Now, with the next elections set for March - their time has come.

Cohen, who voted for Sharon in the previous elections, said, “There is no one to vote for. We lived in Gush Katif for 22 years; I raised seven children there. Today we are eight separate families that were expelled and scattered throughout the country.”

Evacuation of Gush Katif (Archive photo: Aya Ben-Amos)

From the perspective of the dozens of evacuees residing in the Shalom hotel, voting for Sharon’s new party, Kadima is not an option. Most of them said they would vote for right-wing parties; some for Likud, and only a few for the National Religious Party.

“Of course I would be happy to see Kadima collapse, but now we are focusing on helping ourselves,” former Neve Dekalim Secretariat Head Lior Kalfa said.

“We are facing many problems, such as finding jobs and rebuilding the community. The elections are not at the top of our list of priorities.”

Former Neve Dekalim settler Hannah Pikar said, “I will vote for whoever did not stab me in the back, if such a person even exists. However, if I do decide to vote, I will base it on past deeds, not on promises for the future. I have learned my lesson.”

Some evacuees, however, said Sharon’s defection from Likud makes the party a ‘legitimate’ force again.

“I will vote for Likud with the ‘rebels’ at the helm,” Zion Ohayon said.

‘We must prevent disaster’

Shmuel Levy, 18, who will be eligible to vote for the first time in the upcoming elections, said he will prefer to spend his time in a movie theater than at the voting station.

“Look at the way we live here? There is no privacy. You cannot go down to the lobby barefoot or smoke; weddings are held here all the time, and we have to keep quiet,” he said.

“So who will I vote for, the person who is responsible for this or the one who will do it to others.”

The fact that his non-vote may strengthen the Left does not seem to concern Levy: “What’s the difference? Throughout Israel’s entire history it was the Right that made peace and gave up territories.”

Head of the Binyamin Regional Council Pinchas Wallerstein said that while he sympathizes with the evacuees’ grievances, it is important to support the right-wing parties in the elections.

“In a democratic society there cannot be a situation whereby they will forfeit their right to vote and influence, even if they feel betrayed,” he said.

“We must prevent a situation in which Shas loses votes to (Labor Chairman Amir) Peretz or Likudniks follow Sharon; we must prevent this disaster and rally around Benjamin Netanyahu.”