A new square was inaugurated this morning (Tuesday) in downtown Jerusalem, "Gush Katif Square."
The new square, which received its name thanks to an initiative led by Municipal Names Committee Chair Yael Antebi, is located near the Gush Katif Museum.
Shai Gefen, director of the Gush Katif Museum and among the leaders of the initiative, explained the motives for the move. "This is an historic day. The day after the passing of the Regulation Law the Jerusalem Municipality inaugurated Gush Katif Square in the center of the capital, near the Gush Katif Museum". He added, "The square commemorates the 21 communities destroyed during the expulsion."
"I hope that people who pass by here remember Gush Katif, learn the lessons, that Israel will soon return to Gush Katif and that the injustice will be corrected," said Geffen.
In 2005, over 8000 Israelis were expelled from the Katif Bloc in Gaza, founded by the Israeli government in 1970, in a unilateral move initiated by then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Many could not adjust to the forced change and have still not rebuilt their lives.