"The call for people to show their support by coming to live in Gush Katif is a wonderful, important and timely one, and could inject a new spirit into the struggle." So says Rabbi Yossi Anteman of Kedumim, who led a similar campaign to Yamit and the northern Sinai 23 years ago.
"After Begin and Sadat signed an agreement to turn over Yamit and the Sinai to Egypt," Rabbi Anteman told Arutz-7, "we and about 20 other families arrived in Yamit. Many of the original residents had already left, and we took their places. Little by little, many more families came - some to the community of Talmei Yosef, and some to Atzmonah, and then a girls' high school relocated to the area, and so on. They came from all over the country - I remember there was a group from Rehovot, and from the Golan and Bnei Brak, and all over. For my family personally, I can tell you that it was the most productive year in terms of building ourselves, building a town, giving of ourselves; we came to build and were built."
Rabbi Anteman said he sees a major difference between now and then:
"During the Yamit period, there was no awareness of the connection between Sinai and Yamit to the Land of Israel, whereas now Israelis in general are much more connected with the area [in question]. The people have no real desire to leave Gush Katif. Sure, the polls say differently - but this is not how it should be measured. For instance, the Prime Minister can reduce taxes drastically because there is support for such a move - but a year later the country will fall apart. The standard is not how popular it is, but rather what is the nation's true path."
Asked what the purpose would be in bringing people to live in Gush Katif now, he said that in Yamit, there were different approaches as to what the purpose was:
"Some felt that it was an external display - showing G-d that we cared, showing future generations that we did what we could, and showing our connection to the Land - while there were others, like myself, who really felt that we were coming to rebuild the city."
Reminded that it was the same Ariel Sharon who, as Defense Minister, presided over the destruction of Yamit and the northern Sinai communities, Rabbi Anteman had only negative things to say:
"He has caused unspeakable damage to the entire nation and to its spirit. He has destroyed the whole settlement enterprise in the entire nation. Who will want to build a new community even in the Galilee now, when we see how easily it can be erased? I have no words to describe the damage he's done."
Rabbi Anteman's wife Rivka added,
"I think that a very big difference between then and now is that in Yamit, most of the struggle was waged by people who came to the area from the outside. Most of the original residents had left, except for some from Talmei Yosef and Sadot and a few others. Now, however, all the strength and faith and planning and stamina and the ideas are coming from the people who are living there. They are not giving up - but rather continue to come up with more initiatives and more inner strength. This is in itself a miracle, given all the difficulties that they've been through, including terrorism and deaths and mortar rockets and de-legitimization and now this talk of the expulsion. But they continue to work and inspire, and everything they do is with love and with a positive message - and all this gives much room for hope and faith that this time, the results will be different."