The issue of destroying the synagogues or not has become a hot potato. The cabinet backtracked on an earlier decision to destroy the synagogues and voted against the destruction by 14 - 2. This vote had exacerbated antagonism between Israel and the Palestinians and this resulted in the Palestinians boycotting the pullout ceremony from Gaza. There was a certain amount of surrealism in the modest pullout ceremony without the Palestinian presence. One would have expected a handing over ceremony of Gaza to the Palestinians with the raising of the Palestinian flag after the lowering of the Israeli flag. This symbolic ceremony could have caught the attention of the world and Israel's credibility may have received a few more points.
The synagogues in Gush Katif were a rallying place for extremist right wing views. Right wing rabbis have used these pulpits for spewing out zealotry views not very different in motivation to the extremist hate filled imams in many Gaza mosques. The content of the sermons between the two faiths may differ. Perhaps it is understandable that the Palestinians would like to see the end of all vestiges of settlers in their areas.
The settlers in the Gaza strip had it good in the midst of a sea of poverty stricken Palestinians. The settlers had made full use of Palestinian cheap labor for working their agricultural projects. Right wing rabbis never mentioned increasing Palestinian worker's salaries and improving their social conditions. There was great emphasis on the right of the settlers to colonize Palestinian territory. The basis for this was the Torah in its extreme interpretation. The Gush Katif synagogues became symbols of oppression and racism. Here the affluent settlers would make peace with their belief in God and then return to their palatial homes at the end of the day. These homes were the result of generous Israeli Governmental aid at the taxpayer's expense. There were islands of affluent settlers amidst a tragic sea of poverty stricken Palestinians who are weak economically. This in itself is grist for the mill of dissatisfaction amongst the Palestinian population whose offspring have no future. This frustration amongst the Palestinians is also a factor in terrorism and hate for Israel.
The settlers had not done anything to improve the lot of the Palestinians in their midst. It paid them to keep them impoverished and dependent on them for work at starvation wages.
Israel, itself has not done justice to her own workforce within the green line as far as salaries are concerned. Promotions in many jobs are slow. Many people are employed at minimum wages. This is far worse in the Arab sector, not to mention the shocking wages and inhuman treatment meted out to the Palestinians.
At the end of the day, the Gush Katif Synagogues, a breeding ground for zealotry and racism is symbolic of an intolerant, self righteous, perverted mutant of Judaism. Unfortunately, the government had voted against the destruction of these synagogues, which are a negative blot on Jewish history. Houses of worship that are hot beds of extremism and hate (and this applies to all faiths) ought to be treated with the contempt that they deserve. They do not serve the intended purpose of their respective faiths, which claim to be tolerant towards all, irrespective of race, color or creed.
