Assuming no direct divine intervention to stop Ariel Sharon's folly in these last remaining moments for the "settlements", one naturally wonders where this will all lead. Specifically, the question that looms large on the horizon is, "What's next?" This issue, of course, branches out into several areas. What's next for the "settlers"? Israel proper (if there is such a thing anymore)? And what does this all mean to the world at large?



One would have to be deaf, dumb and blind to think this unbelievable, self-defeatist action by Israel won't contribute to an actual increase in Islamic terror. Even before the ink was signed on this ridiculous "disengagement", the Arab terror groups were already claiming victory. Unlike the message Sharon delivered to the Israeli people, his actions (or lack thereof) sent the so-called Palestinians a very clear message: "We're tired of the violence. We can't live near you guys. We're moving away. Here's our homes, land, businesses, buildings, streets, facilities, clubs, restaurants and all the other goodies we built from scratch. Take it all. Just let us live in peace now." In plain old English - Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Palestinian Authority and all their other partners-in-crime feel empowered. To them, their means have done the job.



This, despite the fact that the mighty Israel Air Force could have leveled Gaza, and probably should have years ago after the Arabs continued with terrorism. It wasn't even necessary to jeopardize any IDF ground forces - as Sharon's government has always done in the past, like in Jenin, for example. Sharon sought to minimize civilian casualties on the Arab side, even when engaging in legitimate defensive measures. At first glance, this seems rather noble. But can Sharon really justify losing his own young soldiers rather than destroying an enemy that actively seeks Israel's very destruction? Like the saying goes, when you're kind to the wicked, you end up being wicked to the kind.



Are Sharon's actions geared to find favor in the world's eyes? Did the world appreciate Israel's sacrifice in Jenin? They did the exact opposite, as the Arabs invented a story about a massacre that never actually occurred - except to our own brave soldiers following Sharon's edicts. Their made up story ran rampant throughout the world's media. Countries quickly jumped on the bandwagon to condemn Israel, even though it was Israel that suffered huge, totally unnecessary losses in this legitimate, defensive action. The Arabs even made a movie about the fairy tale of Jenin, which played in a variety of venues worldwide. So much for earning the world's esteem.



Many times, I see some kids bullying other kids. It's one of those difficult and unfortunate lessons of growing up. As a teacher, the responsible adult, I know that if Billy is throwing his weight around and not letting other children use the slide, then I don't tell the other kids to leave the playground. I punish Billy until he gets the picture. Sharon has essentially rewarded the bully in the neighborhood. He has thrown out the well-behaved ones from Gaza, and allowed the brutes to have free reign. In other words, he's totally "wimped out" here.



But the situation is even more absurd, because the other kids in the 'hood, the Israelis, have the means to rid themselves of these bullies without turning to a "teacher" for assistance.. Israel has a powerful armed force - one of the best in the world. Yet, this current government has for years consistently tied the IDF's hands, not allowing it to do its job, to do what's right.



Let's go back to the schoolyard. Billy is back, picking on the others. Yeah, he's totally obnoxious, but lately, he's been getting out of hand, throwing rocks at the other kids, destroying their lunch boxes and backpacks. Even taking some shots at the teacher. Every kid in the class could kick Billy's you-know-what, but the "wise" teacher takes a radically different approach. He removes the class from the yard again, sighs and tells the class that eventually Billy will change. In effect, Sharon, like this misguided teacher, has rewarded Billy for his horrible behavior and empowered him to become "king of the castle".



This new move of disengagement will elicit the very same response. It won't be enough for the world. It never was and it never will be. It certainly won't be enough for the Arabs, who still call for Israel's destruction. Even while Sharon was handing him Gaza, Mahmoud Abbas brazenly informed his motley crew that soon it will be Jerusalem - another piece of Middle East real-estate that the Muslims didn't lay claim to until the Jews built it into a wonderful, thriving city.



So, now that we've already begun Post Gaza Stress Syndrome, what should be our actions?



1. Ignore, to the best of our ability, world politics and opinion, which reeks of hypocrisy and political double standards when it comes to Jews. I think we saw that pretty clearly a few decades ago with Nazi Germany and the world's reaction to the slaughter going on there. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. Israel needs to conduct its foreign affairs as other countries normally do. You win a war; the spoils go to the victor. You win a lot of wars, well, there's no question whatsoever. You win all the wars, always started by the other side, quite frankly, there ain't a shadow of a doubt here. You keep the land and you dictate policy.



Only with tiny, tiny Israel, does the world keep demanding and pressuring that it should give back more and more. Israel gave back all of Sinai, including Sharm El-Sheikh, including oil fields, to Egypt. There's no great peace here, only a status quo. And yet, the so-called Palestinians keep sneaking in a whole bunch of arms via the Egyptian border. Yeah, they're our great buddies. Like my grandma used to say: "With friends like this, who needs enemies?"



Israel needs to get its backbone straight again. It seems obvious that the Sharon government has bent us over backwards in appeasement. Put in street terms, Israel needs to get back the ability, the conviction, to give the world, when needed and justified, the proverbial "finger".



2. Give the IDF the green light to take care of business. Period. The whole world is fighting global Islamic terrorism. Even Europe is gearing up for this difficult battle. And yet, Israel, on the very front lines, is forced to capitulate and compromise its very security. All this does is empower these Islamic fanatics. If they feel that terror can work with Israel, they will feel that they can use it anywhere. No place is immune anymore. The IDF, and in particular the IAF, could have cleaned up the mess a long, long time ago.



3. On the "state" of Palestine: First of all, this is a new, made-up, fictionalized version of history. Palestine, even as recently as the 1950s and '60s, always referred to Israel. But there's a no-brainer of a question here: why spend zillions of dollars, invest hundreds of thousands of troops, to get rid of one Islamic hostile regime such as Iraq, only to replace it with another one called Palestine? Does the world really need yet another country dedicated to spreading militant Islam via any means necessary? All the money the US and the EU pour into Gaza won't do a bit of good to spreading democracy and goodwill until the so-called Palestinians change their attitude and philosophy. But the world has to face the reality that militant Islam doesn't change via talks, dialogues, land-for-peace deals and negotiations. It can only change when it is defeated militarily.



4. Get rid of Sharon and company. Maybe the old warrior has grown tired. But his leadership has been like a street bully using force to get his way. More importantly, his policies have been divisive and self-destructive for Israel. Israel needs to become a better functioning democracy, where these sorts of policies won't pass just because, like the Mafia, one guy says so. Vote him and his wimps out of office and bring a better system of checks and balances into Israel's government.



5. Treat the "settlers" as true heroes. They gave up a lot to move to Gaza in the first place, initially with the government's blessings and encouragement. With blood, sweat and tears, they turned the place around, building wonderful, thriving communities. They should be given it all back triple-fold. But Israel needs to do some soul-searching and change its vocabulary. Gaza is not "occupied territory". It's land that, as Jews, we've always had a connection to historically, religiously and recently, by virtue of military victories. If anything, it's an extended part of Israel that's been liberated. But, at the very least, Israel should refer to all the real estate in question (courtesy of world opinion) as "disputed territory".



Settlements are communities, cities. The word "settlement" is used by the world to suggest something temporary, as if to say it's not really ours. The term "settlers" is distorted by the media to show stubbornness, fanaticism and, in general, refers to those who stir up trouble. But the real question here that nobody ever asks in the world press, is not, why do these "settlers" live here to antagonize the vast Arab majority, but rather, why can't a few million Arabs tolerate a few thousand Jews? In other words, why should a small, law-abiding minority population's very presence antagonize a much larger majority? Are they breathing too loud at night that it disturbs their sleep? Do they run around blowing up the joint and acting all crazy? No. The issue is that the Palestinians have no tolerance for anyone other than themselves. Hey, even amongst themselves, they fight and kill each other. Why should we expect it to be any different when it comes to Jewish neighbors?



It's hard to undo what has been done, but we mustn't give up. It's probably only a matter of time until the so-called Palestinians shoot themselves in the foot, and do something really stupid to jeopardize their own state and their status in Gaza. Who knows, maybe they'll start shooting and firing like crazy from Gaza at places even closer to the heartland of Israel. Maybe they'll get caught trying to smuggle in weapons of mass destruction? Then Israel will have no choice but to re-enter, clean up shop and liberate it all. This will not only be good for Israel, but doing a real favor for humanity throughout the globe.



I don't, however, think that this will ever be accomplished with Sharon at the head. Israel needs a government that is proud of its amazing heritage and not afraid to tell the world that this God-given territory, this small stretch of land, is ours - forever.