US financial support aids Israeli Settlers

Part of the very reason the settlers in the Gaza have been so successful is because of American support, Evangelical Christian financial support in addition to Jews who feel that Israel is the one who should own the land in Gaza. Organizations like Friends of Israeli Communities, with their "Adopt-a-Settlement Program." Church congregations and individuals are encouraged to donate, minimum amount accepted is ten dollars, however they encourage a higher monthly donation. In 2002 it was reported over 60 million dollars had been raised by various Evangelical groups and reports were that donations were doubling compared to the past.

Another organization in New Jersey called American Friends of Gush Katif has a video presentation played for visitors of that region to encourage them to financially support the settlers battle against the Israeli Government's order to disengage from Gaza. They believe (their emphasis in caps not mine) THE LAND OF ISRAEL WAS PROMISED TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE BY HASHEM AND NO MAN CAN GIVE IT AWAY.

An article in Today's Haaretz describes a tour thru Gush Katif by a group that supports the disengagement of the Gaza Strip. Some interesting facts that were presented to them and some response from those on this tour:

The NIF activists, like the others who are brought to Gush Katif, were flooded Monday with stories of abandoned homes, businesses lost and the trauma of being uprooted. "Some of the houses here have eight to 10 to 12 rooms, and we're very happy to live here," tour guide Ahavya Halevi from Atzmona, who was born in Toronto and immigrated 10 years ago, told the tour bus. "We're really prospering here, and there is just no reason to leave. It's important that we live here to prevent the Arabs from growing and creating large cities and armies so that will be able to attack us."

As the bus cruised from one settlement to the next, the NIF staff made sure to point out the parallel, unpaved roads intended for Palestinian use only, behind which lay run-down colorless shacks. Ron Shatsberg, a project director for the Economic Cooperation Foundation who accompanied the trip, also rattled off statistics meant to present an alternative view - 1.4 million Palestinians and 7,000 Jews live in the Gaza Strip, he told the bus with aerial photographs of the settlement bloc in hand, and yet Jews occupy some 20 percent of the land. And some 600 troops, he continued, guard only 40 families in the isolated settlement of Netzarim.

"I was struck by how deep selfishness can go in Israeli society," says Yehuda Cohen, who splits his time between New York and Jerusalem. He was just leaving the Ganei Tal greenhouse. "I had a certain degree of empathy before I came, and I have it now. But this farmer and many of the people here expect the world to revolve around their businesses."

Why point this out here? Part if of it is my longstanding interest on what is happening in Palestine and Israel because I truly believe that creating peace there will have a bigger impact on diminishing terrorism than anything we are currently doing in Iraq. Also, I think it important to point out that Evangelical Christans are making an impact on world events as well as attempting to change things here as well. Their desire to put how they interpet the bible versus what the law of not only our country but Israel states is something we should be aware of.