Settlers to mark 'pullout anniversary'

The decision to go ahead with the memorial day despite the war was taken during late night consultations, Gush Katif Settlers' Committee Chairman Lior Kalpa said.

"We're not ignoring the war taking place in the North, where our finest sons are fighting and being killed," he said. "A memorial day date is not custom-made or planned, it's just marked."

Meanwhile, Rabbi Kobi Burnshtein said the day will feature several events, including a convey that will head out of Gaza's Kissufim crossing, panels held throughout the morning in Jerusalem, plays, movies, personal accounts, and lessons.

By the afternoon, a rally will be held in Jerusalem under the banner of "Remembering the past, building the future." The rally will be followed by a march to the Western Wall where a mass prayer session will be held. Among other things, worshippers will be praying for the wellbeing of IDF troops fighting in the North, for the recovery of the wounded, and for the safe return of Israel's abducted soldiers.

Despite the harsh sentiments held by evacuees towards the army because of its role in the pullout, at this time "we're standing by our heroic soldiers," Kalpa said.

"We won't allow politicians to deliver speeches at the events and we won't allow anyone to use our world, which has been shattered, in order to advance their own personal agenda," Kalpa said. "On this day, we won't use the opportunity to tell the public 'we told you so."

'Nasrallah to be proven wrong'

Turning his attention to Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah's famous "spider web speech", Kalpa said: "Nasrallah compared our society to spider webs, which have a large volume but are hollow on the inside. I’m certain he's going to be proven wrong, big time."

"Our people is much stronger than what he thinks. Look at the stamina of the Gush Katif communities, which even after being banished from their homes are not falling apart…and seek to continue to build and continue the spirit of pioneering and Zionism that brought us here," he said.

"Look at the heroism of our fighters who are risking their lives in the war and are willing to protect their values and the existence of their society," Kalpa added. "Look at the Israeli home front, which is willing to being hit repeatedly, in order to allow the army to win. Even 2,000 years of exile didn't break this ancient people, and he (Nasrallah) certainly won't be able to break us."