The special ministerial committee that convened today was established just a few days ago to find temporary housing solutions for the Gaza/northern Shomron refugees. The proposal discussed today was to push off the withdrawal/expulsion until almost four weeks after the scheduled date of July 20. The Labor Party ministers object to any delay.
The postponement was first proposed earlier this week by the head of the Disengagement Authority, Yonatan Bassi. He told Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that it would not be appropriate to carry out the disengagement - which involves the abandonment of parts of the Land of Israel to the enemy and the expulsion of 8,500 Jews from their homes, amidst much strife and possibly violence - during the Three Week period of national mourning.
The "Three Weeks" begin on July 24, four days after the transfer plan is scheduled to begin. The period begins and ends with days of fasting - the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av - on which is commemorated the destruction of the Holy Temples and the events that led up to these tragedies. In addition, the Ninth of Av of the year 1492 was the designated date chosen by Spanish King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella for all Jews of Spain to leave the country.
Arutz-7 asked Bassi, an observant Jew from Kibbutz Sdei Eliyahu, why he thought of postponing the withdrawal only now, given that the dates have been known for months.
"It's very simple," he said. "When the army originally estimated that the entire process would take 12 weeks, the idea of pushing it off by 3-4 weeks was not relevant [because it would then extend up until the High Holiday season]. But once the army revised its estimate and said it would take only three weeks, we realized that it would fall precisely during the Three Weeks - something which disturbed me personally... We also realized that it could be postponed and yet still completed in time."
Arutz-7's Yosef Meiri asked, "Wasn't this information known as early as a month or two ago?" Bassi responded, "No, it was released only 2-3 weeks ago." In fact, however, Arutz-7 reported on March 13 that Defense Minister Sha'ul Mofaz had revealed the new 3-4 week timetable on Friday, March 11 - almost 6 weeks ago.
In any event, due to the absence of a Defense Ministry representative at today's meeting, no decision was taken on whether to delay the disengagement. It was decided, however, not to build additional communities in the controversial Nitzanim area, north of Ashkelon, but rather to expand the town of Nitzan that already exists there. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had been in favor of moving the Gush Katif communities as one bloc to Nitzanim.
Other housing plans in the Ashkelon area, north of Gaza, are being considered, and Housing Minister Yitzchak Herzog toured the area today. The ministers approved the purchase of caravans - mobile homes without wheels - for the use of the refugees, but no one knows where they will be stationed.
The postponement was first proposed earlier this week by the head of the Disengagement Authority, Yonatan Bassi. He told Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that it would not be appropriate to carry out the disengagement - which involves the abandonment of parts of the Land of Israel to the enemy and the expulsion of 8,500 Jews from their homes, amidst much strife and possibly violence - during the Three Week period of national mourning.
The "Three Weeks" begin on July 24, four days after the transfer plan is scheduled to begin. The period begins and ends with days of fasting - the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av - on which is commemorated the destruction of the Holy Temples and the events that led up to these tragedies. In addition, the Ninth of Av of the year 1492 was the designated date chosen by Spanish King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella for all Jews of Spain to leave the country.
Arutz-7 asked Bassi, an observant Jew from Kibbutz Sdei Eliyahu, why he thought of postponing the withdrawal only now, given that the dates have been known for months.
"It's very simple," he said. "When the army originally estimated that the entire process would take 12 weeks, the idea of pushing it off by 3-4 weeks was not relevant [because it would then extend up until the High Holiday season]. But once the army revised its estimate and said it would take only three weeks, we realized that it would fall precisely during the Three Weeks - something which disturbed me personally... We also realized that it could be postponed and yet still completed in time."
Arutz-7's Yosef Meiri asked, "Wasn't this information known as early as a month or two ago?" Bassi responded, "No, it was released only 2-3 weeks ago." In fact, however, Arutz-7 reported on March 13 that Defense Minister Sha'ul Mofaz had revealed the new 3-4 week timetable on Friday, March 11 - almost 6 weeks ago.
In any event, due to the absence of a Defense Ministry representative at today's meeting, no decision was taken on whether to delay the disengagement. It was decided, however, not to build additional communities in the controversial Nitzanim area, north of Ashkelon, but rather to expand the town of Nitzan that already exists there. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had been in favor of moving the Gush Katif communities as one bloc to Nitzanim.
Other housing plans in the Ashkelon area, north of Gaza, are being considered, and Housing Minister Yitzchak Herzog toured the area today. The ministers approved the purchase of caravans - mobile homes without wheels - for the use of the refugees, but no one knows where they will be stationed.