Others define it as an attempt to demoralize them.
Many police and IDF vehicles pulled into Moshav Ganei Tal, parked in the area of the basketball court, and began a simulated evacuation. The police and soldiers divided up into teams of "soldiers" and "residents," and the former began forcing the latter out of their "homes," including dragging those who were unwilling to cooperate.
The feeling of those who observed the exercise, says one who was there, "was that the security forces received orders to carry it out specifically inside the community as a way of sending a message to the residents that the expulsion is close and that they had better prepare."
The exercise occurred only hours after two Gush Katif citizens were sent to the hospital when they were struck by police. The incident occurred during the course of a protest against the deployment of PA para-military police near their towns. A local group has announced that it is collecting evidence against the policemen who were involved in the fracas, for the purpose of filing complaints and civil suits against them.
Local residents are infuriated that when terrorist warnings are received, the army does not take resolute action to protect its citizens, but rather closes the Jewish travel routes in order to allow the PA forces to deal with the threat.
"It happened three times this week," writes Racheli Melamed of Kfar Darom in an open letter to Knesset Members. "The damage to schools, the supply of agricultural produce, coming late to work, etc. is great – but the long-term damage is much worse! A situation in which the IDF and the residents must shut themselves up because of the new 'security' deployment... causes confusion among the soldiers, and anger and frustration among the residents."
Many police and IDF vehicles pulled into Moshav Ganei Tal, parked in the area of the basketball court, and began a simulated evacuation. The police and soldiers divided up into teams of "soldiers" and "residents," and the former began forcing the latter out of their "homes," including dragging those who were unwilling to cooperate.
The feeling of those who observed the exercise, says one who was there, "was that the security forces received orders to carry it out specifically inside the community as a way of sending a message to the residents that the expulsion is close and that they had better prepare."
The exercise occurred only hours after two Gush Katif citizens were sent to the hospital when they were struck by police. The incident occurred during the course of a protest against the deployment of PA para-military police near their towns. A local group has announced that it is collecting evidence against the policemen who were involved in the fracas, for the purpose of filing complaints and civil suits against them.
Local residents are infuriated that when terrorist warnings are received, the army does not take resolute action to protect its citizens, but rather closes the Jewish travel routes in order to allow the PA forces to deal with the threat.
"It happened three times this week," writes Racheli Melamed of Kfar Darom in an open letter to Knesset Members. "The damage to schools, the supply of agricultural produce, coming late to work, etc. is great – but the long-term damage is much worse! A situation in which the IDF and the residents must shut themselves up because of the new 'security' deployment... causes confusion among the soldiers, and anger and frustration among the residents."