Why is Israel pulling out of the Gaza Strip?
The decision was made a year or so ago, during the final stage of Yasser Arafat’s leadership of the Palestinian Authority. The Israeli government decided that rather than make another attempt to negotiate with Arafat it would unilaterally withdraw the Jewish settlements from the Gaza Strip, as well as four isolated settlements in the northern West Bank. The stated rationale was that this would make it easier for Israel to hold onto territory in the West Bank, where the largest Jewish settlements are located. Previous leaders had offered such evacuations only as part of a comprehensive “land-for-peace” deal with the Palestinians. After Arafat’s death and the rise of Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon continued to press ahead with his unilateral vision. Is there any significance to the deadline of Aug. 17? The Israeli government said it pushed back the starting to Aug. 17, from early summer, to avoid moving the settlers during Tisha B’av, a Jewish holiday that culminates