The Day After Hitkansut

I really don't want to write about this. The very thought scares me to death. Nevertheless, I think it needs to be out there.

At present, over 60,000 Jews live beyond the "fence" or "wall" or whatever you want to call it. This includes two of my best, closest friends (and I don't have many of those). They are all living there "on borrowed time", in territory that will not be Israeli under any feasible settlement, permanent or otherwise. As crazy as it sounds, we need to take into account the possibility of another forced "hitnatkut". Whether it happens because of international sanction, agreement or otherwise makes no difference. It makes no difference if it happens in five years or thirty - it's coming.

This has nothing to do with the question of whether such a move is "right". I doubt the fact that the Gaza hitnatkut was a disaster is much comfort to the thousands of families who are still without permanent homes. Now multiply that by a factor of 10 and you get what we will be facing if and when it hits yosh.

Let me repeat that number again: 60,000 (if it were up to the "green line" fetishists it would be closer to 400,000, but that doesn't seem as likely). Men, women, children. People whose lives and incomes are tied up in the houses and communities built over time. Now imagine all that erased.

So what's your solution, smart guy?

I don't have one. I just know that we need to start preparing solid, detailed back-up plans for The Day After. I know we can't rely on the government, and I'd rather see those hurt be able to rebuild their life again as quickly as possible.

In Israeli terms, I'd rather we be smart than right (al tehiyeh tzodek, tehiyeh chacham).