PM's Letter To Students Reveals His True Intentions
Henya Tzur, principal of the girls' elementary school in Ofrah, a Yesha community north of Jerusalem, said she received a worrisome letter from Prime Minister Ariel Sharon yesterday - one that implies that Ofrah, too, is about to be evacuated
"Our pupils know what's going on around them with Gush Katif," she explained to Arutz-7, "and so we encouraged them to write to the children in Gush Katif and express their feelings to them. They did so, and sent letters to the Prime Minister as well. Today [Wednesday], I received a letter in response from the Prime Minister, addressed to our school in general. Thank G-d, school is out for the summer, and I didn't have to read it aloud to the students - because I received a shock myself when I read it. The letter from Mr. Sharon says,
'For years I was involved in building and in settlement, but I believe today that for the benefit of Israel we must withdraw from Gaza. This will be a painful step that will enable the defense of the entire nation and State. I know how hard it is to abandon trees that were planted, as well as memories rooted in childhood locations - but I hope that you and your families will succeed in finding the strength and in building your homes once again with the same love. I request of you to help your parents and the soldiers, even if understanding this vital step involves pain.'"
The letter thus implies that Ofrah, as well, is about to be evacuated, and its residents expelled. The disengagement plan as currently written calls only for the destruction of 21 Jewish communities and four in northern Shomron.
Mrs. Tzur said it is hard for her to accept that it was just an innocent error: "I showed this letter to many people, and all of them were shocked by the sentence that refers to 'your families' and 'your homes' - as if to say that we, too, are about to be expelled. What, the Prime Minister doesn't know to whom he's writing?"
Even if the offensive sentence was the result of an honest mistake - Sharon, or his staff, probably mistook the Ofrah students for the ones in Gaza - many residents of the area feel that the bottom line is the same. Prime Minister Sharon has made it clear, especially in his recent exchange of letters with U.S. President George Bush, that he plans to maintain only five settlement blocs in Yesha - and Ofrah and environs is not one of them. Many settlement leaders are thus of the opinion that if Gush Katif goes, many areas in Judea and Samaria will be next.
Henya Tzur, principal of the girls' elementary school in Ofrah, a Yesha community north of Jerusalem, said she received a worrisome letter from Prime Minister Ariel Sharon yesterday - one that implies that Ofrah, too, is about to be evacuated
"Our pupils know what's going on around them with Gush Katif," she explained to Arutz-7, "and so we encouraged them to write to the children in Gush Katif and express their feelings to them. They did so, and sent letters to the Prime Minister as well. Today [Wednesday], I received a letter in response from the Prime Minister, addressed to our school in general. Thank G-d, school is out for the summer, and I didn't have to read it aloud to the students - because I received a shock myself when I read it. The letter from Mr. Sharon says,
'For years I was involved in building and in settlement, but I believe today that for the benefit of Israel we must withdraw from Gaza. This will be a painful step that will enable the defense of the entire nation and State. I know how hard it is to abandon trees that were planted, as well as memories rooted in childhood locations - but I hope that you and your families will succeed in finding the strength and in building your homes once again with the same love. I request of you to help your parents and the soldiers, even if understanding this vital step involves pain.'"
The letter thus implies that Ofrah, as well, is about to be evacuated, and its residents expelled. The disengagement plan as currently written calls only for the destruction of 21 Jewish communities and four in northern Shomron.
Mrs. Tzur said it is hard for her to accept that it was just an innocent error: "I showed this letter to many people, and all of them were shocked by the sentence that refers to 'your families' and 'your homes' - as if to say that we, too, are about to be expelled. What, the Prime Minister doesn't know to whom he's writing?"
Even if the offensive sentence was the result of an honest mistake - Sharon, or his staff, probably mistook the Ofrah students for the ones in Gaza - many residents of the area feel that the bottom line is the same. Prime Minister Sharon has made it clear, especially in his recent exchange of letters with U.S. President George Bush, that he plans to maintain only five settlement blocs in Yesha - and Ofrah and environs is not one of them. Many settlement leaders are thus of the opinion that if Gush Katif goes, many areas in Judea and Samaria will be next.