“Feelings of pain came back in my mint and struck me” Deputy Minister of Religious Services Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan stated as he officially launched “Gush Katif Day” in the nation’s education system, observed on 22 Shevat.

Rabbi Ben-Dahan toured all the areas of the museum, an emotional experience for him as he reflected back on that day in 2005 when those communities were destroyed. The deputy minister then lit a memorial candle for the terror victims of Gush Katif throughout the years, explaining he hopes the day dedicated to those communities will relay the legacy of the glorious past to the students of today. He added the government remains deeply committed to assist in perpetuating the glorious heritage of those communities.

“The Gush Katif Museum is a living memorial to Gush Katif in order not to forget the people and what once was there” concluded Rabbi Ben-Dahan.

Rabbi Ben-Dahan then signed the guestbook, writing “Today I visited the Gush Katif Museum and feelings of pain and grief over the loss of a wonderful flowering region rose again in my mind and struck me. Hence I pledge to continue to work on strengthening the legacy of a wonderful people from Gush Katif and act as I can to prevent a recurrence of such a case. Our call is ‘Am Israel Chai’ and will continue to build and construct, and connect to the inextricable between our people, our land and our Holy Torah”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)