The meeting, scheduled to begin at 5 PM, will deal with the possibility of moving all of Gush Katif - or at least the religious communities therein - to the large area known as Nitzanim, between Ashdod and Ashkelon. Seven to ten new towns would be built for what are now about twice that number of communities.
Prime Minister Sharon, who is known for having been a close friend of Yesha leaders and elements for decades, is now trying to repair the relations that have been practically fatally harmed by his expulsion/demolition plan.
Eran Sternberg, spokesman for Gush Katif, denied that any agreements had been reached, especially regarding residents' alleged consent to voluntarily leave their homes in exchange for new ones in Nitzanim. "We hope that the people meeting with Sharon today will be wary of being used as pawns by a cynical Prime Minister who employs the 'divide and conquer' method," he said.
The Prime Minister and his staffers feel that an en-masse relocation of all or most of Gush Katif will melt away most of the opposition amidst the residents to the plan.
Others say that the "representatives" are not that at all. "They're just three heads of town secretariats and the regional council's treasurer," said one resident who preferred to remain nameless. "There was a decision made by the forum of 21 local council heads not to meet with Sharon at this point, and yet they decided to act on their own, against the majority. I'm ashamed."
Many residents are also critical of National Religious Party leader MK Zevulun Orlev, who will also participate in the meeting.
Just two weeks ago, a leading Gaza Coast Regional Council official wrote a public letter of apology to his neighbors in Gush Katif for having met with representatives of Prime Minister Sharon. He wrote, "It can be clearly seen how, against our will, [this meeting] inevitably meant a blow at the struggle being led by the Regional Council and the Struggle Task Force – and the proof is in the evil headlines [depicting the residents as preferring money over ideology]. I would like to express deep sorrow and to apologize to the residents of the Gaza Coast Council for the damage that was caused... I would like to take advantage of this opportunity to call upon all of us: Don't be fooled into meeting with those who would uproot and expel us! As someone who was there and back, I can testify that the only thing we met up with there was a wall of evil and obtuseness."
Sharon met last night with the Sephardic Rabbi of Gush Katif, Rabbi Yosef Al-Nekaveh. The reported item on the agenda: Attempts to calm the atmosphere as the scheduled date of the expulsion approaches.
The Prime Minister met with Disengagement Authority officials yesterday, and demanded that quicker progress be made on relocating the 8,500 residents he wishes to displace. Sharon said he does not want a situation in which the people will have to move twice – first to a temporary location while their new homes are being built, and then two years later to their new homes. In light of this demand, the officials will try to find a location that will be able to house them both during the interim period as well as permanently.
It is still not clear what the government plans to do with the homes in Gush Katif. The latest decision was to destroy them and not leave them for the terrorists, but Sharon said yesterday that Shimon Peres is trying to negotiate a different solution with Palestinian Authority officials. MK Tommy Lapid (Shinui) suggested that the homes be left untouched, but that the synagogues be destroyed – so as not to allow them to be turned into mosques.
Prime Minister Sharon, who is known for having been a close friend of Yesha leaders and elements for decades, is now trying to repair the relations that have been practically fatally harmed by his expulsion/demolition plan.
Eran Sternberg, spokesman for Gush Katif, denied that any agreements had been reached, especially regarding residents' alleged consent to voluntarily leave their homes in exchange for new ones in Nitzanim. "We hope that the people meeting with Sharon today will be wary of being used as pawns by a cynical Prime Minister who employs the 'divide and conquer' method," he said.
The Prime Minister and his staffers feel that an en-masse relocation of all or most of Gush Katif will melt away most of the opposition amidst the residents to the plan.
Others say that the "representatives" are not that at all. "They're just three heads of town secretariats and the regional council's treasurer," said one resident who preferred to remain nameless. "There was a decision made by the forum of 21 local council heads not to meet with Sharon at this point, and yet they decided to act on their own, against the majority. I'm ashamed."
Many residents are also critical of National Religious Party leader MK Zevulun Orlev, who will also participate in the meeting.
Just two weeks ago, a leading Gaza Coast Regional Council official wrote a public letter of apology to his neighbors in Gush Katif for having met with representatives of Prime Minister Sharon. He wrote, "It can be clearly seen how, against our will, [this meeting] inevitably meant a blow at the struggle being led by the Regional Council and the Struggle Task Force – and the proof is in the evil headlines [depicting the residents as preferring money over ideology]. I would like to express deep sorrow and to apologize to the residents of the Gaza Coast Council for the damage that was caused... I would like to take advantage of this opportunity to call upon all of us: Don't be fooled into meeting with those who would uproot and expel us! As someone who was there and back, I can testify that the only thing we met up with there was a wall of evil and obtuseness."
Sharon met last night with the Sephardic Rabbi of Gush Katif, Rabbi Yosef Al-Nekaveh. The reported item on the agenda: Attempts to calm the atmosphere as the scheduled date of the expulsion approaches.
The Prime Minister met with Disengagement Authority officials yesterday, and demanded that quicker progress be made on relocating the 8,500 residents he wishes to displace. Sharon said he does not want a situation in which the people will have to move twice – first to a temporary location while their new homes are being built, and then two years later to their new homes. In light of this demand, the officials will try to find a location that will be able to house them both during the interim period as well as permanently.
It is still not clear what the government plans to do with the homes in Gush Katif. The latest decision was to destroy them and not leave them for the terrorists, but Sharon said yesterday that Shimon Peres is trying to negotiate a different solution with Palestinian Authority officials. MK Tommy Lapid (Shinui) suggested that the homes be left untouched, but that the synagogues be destroyed – so as not to allow them to be turned into mosques.