Comments on: Olmert’s Unprecedented Chutzpah: Settlers Exaggerate the Trauma of the Disengagement

By: crazykanoiy

crazykanoiy — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 22:39:12 +0000

To Mully.

Eminent domain is the term used in the US and some other countries. However, the concept of a government evicted inhabitants and owners of property for a perceived greater good is nearly universal. Call it Compulsory Purchase, Expropriation or whatever the idea is all the same.

Much of the settlement activity in Gaza took place post 1980 and after the eviction of Yamit. All who settled knew that the government could evict them in a land for peace deal and all knew that they were settling in a most disputed controversial area.

I agree that they should have gotten better compensation but in reality they shouldn’t have been there in the first place.

By: mully

mully — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 06:46:16 +0000

#4 — You need to to a bit of a fact check. First of all, those who “settled” in Gaza and Yesha at the time when the Gush Katif communities were founded did so with the full support and encouragement of the government. These cities were settled long before “land for peace” became an accepted concept. Second of all, “eminent domain” is a concept in the U.S. Constitution — last I checked none of these settlements were in the U.S., so that concept would be completely irrelevant. But even under eminent domain (which has a lot of restrictions on its use, BTW), the government would be responsible to compensate those who were loosing their property at a reasonable rate. Those expelled from Gush Katif never received proper compensation — and in addition to loosing their homes, most also lost their jobs. To this day a vast majority of those who were expelled are living in poverty. Yes, it is like your landlord “terminating your lease” — and shutting down your place of work, closing your kid’s schools, and doing the same to all your neighbors, co-workers, and your boss. Eminent domain has never been used in the U.S. to completely destroy a city. That generally happens only in war.

The trauma is not just loosing a home — it is being forced to completely rebuild your life from scratch.

By: crazykanoiy

crazykanoiy — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 16:48:15 +0000

To a certain extent Mr. Olmert is correct.

Anyone who builds a house in the far flung Yishuvim of Gaza or Yesha knows that he is setteling in an area of international dispute. These people chose to live there precisely for this reason. Every settler knows the story of Yamit. They chose to take a risk and it did not turn out well for them. It is like a person who buys a house near an airport and then complains about the noise from the planes.

Furthermore eminenent domain allows a government to evict homeowners from their property for the greater communal good. People are evicted from their homes so that highways or commercial districts can be built. If a government believes that settelments are a hinderance to peace and a drain on the resources of the country it is within its rights to evict them. It does not have to be any more traumatic than having your landlord terminate your lease.

It becomes traumatic when you refuse to follow the law and leave, and then require the Army to forcefully evict you.

By: Seichel Brosh

Seichel Brosh — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 16:32:14 +0000

Also Iran is denying the trauma of world war 2

By: mully

mully — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 13:44:39 +0000

But of course he has tremendous sympathy for the poor “Palestinian refugees” who left their homes over 40 years ago (by choice). Those forcibly expelled from Gush Katif just 8 years ago, however, should get over it already.

By: rkefrat

rkefrat — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 12:48:04 +0000

may mr olmert be expelled from his home and then we can all hear from him how wonderful the experience is.