President Moshe Katzav visited in Gush Katif in Gaza yesterday, and both he and the residents were likely left with some severely mixed feelings.
The President has taken a distinctly impartial view of the impending catastrophe planned for the Jewish residents of Gaza. He said last week, for instance, that the very thought of a transfer of Arabs leaves him "dizzy" - but refused to relate to the parallel plan for the transfer of Jews from Katif.
In addition, Katzav recently took the "official" position acknowledging right-wing extremism when he said, "There is a worrisome Jewish minority that speaks of violence in response to the evacuation of communities. I call upon all the rabbis and all the Yesha settlement leaders to utilize their influence in order to prevent violence."
Despite the above, Katzav and his wife Gila were received royally at the Gaza Coast Regional Council offices, the N'vei Dekalim hesder yeshiva [seminary combining Torah studies and army service], and by the children in the local community center. On the other hand, a small protest group greeted them with heckles and black flags - and it was this group that received most of the media coverage.
President Katzav was criticized by both camps. Sources in Katif said that he did not seem to be sensitive to their very real plight, explaining dryly that the Knesset had not yet approved the disengagement/expulsion plan and ignoring the preparations being made for the expulsion. Anti-Katif sources, however, seemed to take this as criticism of the government for moving ahead with a plan that has not yet been ratified.
Katif residents were also irked by the fact that the President did not relate to many of their important questions regarding how they should plan their future in light of the situation.
On the other hand, when journalist Uri Dan - a very close friend of and apologist for Prime Minister Sharon who appears regularly on Voice of Israel radio - interviewed the President this morning, the conversation turned very tense. Dan criticized Katzav for mentioning the residents' "legitimate rights... to fight against the disengagement plan... with all legal means at their disposal." The two also exchanged angry barbs about their respective tendencies to express themselves on political issues, The Jerusalem Post reported, with Katzav saying, "You're exploiting State-owned radio to air your personal views."
Katzav urged the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers to follow his lead and engage in dialogue with the Gush Katif residents, about whom he said, "I feel their pain and their distress. No one can remain indifferent."
The President has taken a distinctly impartial view of the impending catastrophe planned for the Jewish residents of Gaza. He said last week, for instance, that the very thought of a transfer of Arabs leaves him "dizzy" - but refused to relate to the parallel plan for the transfer of Jews from Katif.
In addition, Katzav recently took the "official" position acknowledging right-wing extremism when he said, "There is a worrisome Jewish minority that speaks of violence in response to the evacuation of communities. I call upon all the rabbis and all the Yesha settlement leaders to utilize their influence in order to prevent violence."
Despite the above, Katzav and his wife Gila were received royally at the Gaza Coast Regional Council offices, the N'vei Dekalim hesder yeshiva [seminary combining Torah studies and army service], and by the children in the local community center. On the other hand, a small protest group greeted them with heckles and black flags - and it was this group that received most of the media coverage.
President Katzav was criticized by both camps. Sources in Katif said that he did not seem to be sensitive to their very real plight, explaining dryly that the Knesset had not yet approved the disengagement/expulsion plan and ignoring the preparations being made for the expulsion. Anti-Katif sources, however, seemed to take this as criticism of the government for moving ahead with a plan that has not yet been ratified.
Katif residents were also irked by the fact that the President did not relate to many of their important questions regarding how they should plan their future in light of the situation.
On the other hand, when journalist Uri Dan - a very close friend of and apologist for Prime Minister Sharon who appears regularly on Voice of Israel radio - interviewed the President this morning, the conversation turned very tense. Dan criticized Katzav for mentioning the residents' "legitimate rights... to fight against the disengagement plan... with all legal means at their disposal." The two also exchanged angry barbs about their respective tendencies to express themselves on political issues, The Jerusalem Post reported, with Katzav saying, "You're exploiting State-owned radio to air your personal views."
Katzav urged the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers to follow his lead and engage in dialogue with the Gush Katif residents, about whom he said, "I feel their pain and their distress. No one can remain indifferent."