6 5 4 1 2 3 176 177 Chapter Thirteen |The Destruc�on of Gush Ka�f The soldiers arrived in Neve Dekalim on Tuesday evening. In the late hours of the night, they started knocking on doors to confuse and frighten the residents for the next day.21 Yochi Klemenzon, who came to help the residents on behalf of Mount Hebron's Psychological Services, said: "In the very early hours of the morning, the announcer declared that the evacua�on forces were entering the se�lement. Once inside, they generated an atmosphere of conquest. They walked and ran for no reason to provoke in�mida�on and uncertainty. The evacua�on began with the bereaved families, of all people, for whom the encounter with military personnel was par�cularly tough. Ten soldiers came to each family home, blocking the entrance. They did not speak or respond, which induced anger and helplessness... It aggravated everyone and highlighted the unrecep�veness of the soldiers. The frustra�on was brought up to the commanders, and this was stopped. A widowed sister begged to pass by her brother's grave, and the army refused. Only a�er ten hours of pleading and crying, it was approved. At noon, the water and electricity were cut off, meaning there were no telephone lines either. It only intensified the helplessness and anger, and sent everyone on foot to deliver messages. In the evening, they remained alone in the dark, unable to see each other. They felt loss, loneliness, helplessness and a terrible emp�ness, which stemmed from the knowledge that the place they knew and loved would be erased within a few days. The scenario repeated itself in the other se�lements as well. Elei Sinai, Shalev, Atzmona, Ka�f and Netzarim were the last to be evacuated, so they had the privilege of spending one more Shabbat on the land of Gush Ka�f. However, some families le� before the evacua�on date to avoid confronta�on with the army and the ensuing lifelong trauma. In retrospect, some of them regre�ed it and felt the pangs of conscience for not being together at the end. Most of the residents who stayed un�l they were forced to leave felt an extraordinary experience of connec�on and complete trust in the Torah and the Land of Israel, of transcendence out of the desire to give up everything for key values, of truly sanc�fying God's Name (Kiddush Hashem) - a once in a life�me experience.22 As soon as the IDF soldiers entered with the evacua�on orders in their hands, everyone realized that the moment of truth had arrived, and the end was near. At that moment, all community ac�vity came to a halt, and ac�vity shi�ed to the family sphere. Each family chose its modus operandi, its way of saying goodbye, its own method of packing, each to their own wishes and abili�es. It further strengthened family values and reconnected all family members a�er a year of busy ac�vi�es outside the home.23 Mee�ng the Soldiers" - with sensi�vity and determina�on" The mee�ng with the evacua�ng soldiers was extremely complex. On the one hand, they were the ones who carried out the evic�on no�ces - the 'deporters.' On the other hand, they did not make this decision; they were merely the executors. Therefore, there were differences of a�tude between the families. Some received them with hugs and invited them to have refreshments and some conversa�on, while others expressed difficult emo�ons, which some�mes escalated to anger and shouts, or even threats of being punished by the heavens." But it was clear to everyone that there would be no violence. And there was none. Most residents reported their disappointment from the encounter, with blank-eyed soldiers who would not look them in the eyes, no�ceably looked away, seemed closed-off and acted like robots, neither listening nor helping.24 At the Almoshnino family from Ka�f, one of the soldiers tried to say something, and his friend silenced him: "Did you forget that we are not supposed to talk?"25 Only a�er the evacua�on did it become evident that this was part of the soldiers' training - to avoid talking to the residents or looking them in the eyes, as a means to detach themselves emo�onally.26 Only a�er some �me did it become known that military psychologists had trained sixty thousand soldiers and policemen to conduct themselves with 'sensi�vity and determina�on' - which became the slogan of the opera�on. The goal was to create an emo�onal detachment and disconnect the soldiers' ac�ons from their emo�ons.27" My son's friends came to evacuate us, and even though they knew us, they were completely closed-off, which made it clear that they were trained for this," said Aliza Kadosh from Neve Dekalim.28 Some prepared a long speech on the history of the people of Israel, of Gush Ka�f and its importance to Israel, on solidarity, faith and ideology, in the hope that the words would penetrate the hearts of the soldiers and influence their ac�ons, but to no avail.29 Some soldiers were moved or shed a tear, but nothing beyond that. The residents felt a tormen�ng sense of obtuseness and aliena�on on the part of the soldiers and their dispatchers, and that, basically, no one cared about them and their fate, despite everything they did for the people of Israel and everything they went through being the front line of the State.30 The feeling that the IDF soldiers were complicit in the evacua�on led the Idles family of Morag to hang a sign on the door of their house - "We were raised for total devo�on, and you were persuaded to destroy." 31 Debbie Rosen of Neve Dekalim sat down with the group of soldiers who arrived at her home the evening before the evacua�on, and told them about what had been done in Gush Ka�f for about thirty years, and how they all stayed despite the a�acks and the heavy price they paid. "We are with you, we are not your enemy, we have always invested in the IDF soldiers", she told them. The next day, other soldiers arrived at her house to carry out the task.32 1 Soldiers in black uniforms enter Neve Dekalim 2 Soldiers prepare to evacuate Jews and receive light refreshments 3 The sign on the Slater family door urging the soldiers to stop 4 Soldiers evacuate a father and his daughter 5 Soldiers drag passive opponents 6 Evacuee in a wheelchair from Elei Sinai
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