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August 16, 2005
A Costly Roadmap
It's surprising what people will do when they have the real facts and the cold, hard statistics.
100% of the Gaza Strip will be evacuated and handed over to the Palestinians.
300 square miles in Samaria will be evacuated.
21 Israeli communities will be uprooted in the Gaza Strip.
4 Israeli communities will be uprooted in Samaria.
48 graves in the Gush Katif Cemetery, including six graves of area residents murdered by terrorists, will be uprooted.
9,000 is the approximate number of Israelis, including 1,700 Israeli families, currently living in the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria. All of them will be expelled as part of the withdrawal.
38 synagogues will be dismantled in the Gaza Strip.
5,000 school-age children will need to find new schools.
42 daycare centers will be closed in the Gaza Strip.
36 kindergartens will be closed in the Gaza Strip.
7 elementary schools, and 3 high schools will be closed in the Gaza Strip.
45,000 Israeli soldiers and policemen are expected to participate in the Gaza withdrawal.
$1.7 billion is the approximate cost to the Israeli government for the withdrawal initiative.
166 active Israeli farmers will be moved out of Gaza.
800 cows, comprising the second largest dairy farm in Israel, will be moved out of Gush Katif.
$120 million in flowers and produce exported annually from Gush Katif will be lost.
10,000 people employed in agriculture and related industries in Gush Katif, including 5,000 Palestinians, will need new employment.
60% of Israel's cherry tomato exports come from the Gaza Strip. Israel's withdrawal from Gaza will extinguish this economic resource.
3.5 million square meters (almost 1,000 acres) of greenhouses will be abandoned in Gaza.
70% of Israel's organic produce is currently produced in Gaza. This is another economic resource that will be lost.
60% of the herbs exported from Israel come from Gush Katif.
15% of Israel's agricultural exports originate in Gaza - exports that will be lost following Israel's withdrawal from Gaza.
$870 million is the approximate cost for Israel to facilitate the resettlement of former Samaria and Gaza residents elsewhere in the country.
$500 million is the amount of money Israel's security establishment will spend in order to relocate Israel Defense Forces bases outside the Gaza Strip and build new border crossing facilities.
So as you can see, this Roadmap really is a shining example of economic and social breakthrough! My friends, with peace like this, the world would be dead.
We must show the world that tearing up economy and making thousands homeless and jobless isn't the way to peace, but to dissension, hatred, grief, and yet more violence.
Please sign the petition that the Jerusalem Prayer Team has established, to let the world know you stand against this eviction and with the Jewish people.
Posted by Grant at August 16, 2005 11:59 AM
Comments
I can not believe that this is happening...well I can I guess seeing as how we knew it would one day. But it is one of those things that you dont think will happen in your life time.
Praise the Lord that He is still in control and will one day show the world what a horrid thing they have done this year.
Posted by: Carm at August 16, 2005 04:16 PM
Truly we a living in perilous times to be seeing these awful things being done to a people that have been given their land by the most High God.
The world should tremble for is about to take place!
Posted by: mary at August 16, 2005 07:47 PM
Thanks for those sobering statistics....
Posted by: Josiah at August 17, 2005 11:15 PM
Grant, thank you for both of your posts about Israel. I mean, really thank you. Shamefully, for a long while I have either ignored the news altogether or only tuned in what concerns me... you know, Iraq and Afghanistan and troop deployments and the 82nd. :-( To get wrapped up in my own life and forget the big picture made up of the happenings everywhere (particularly in the land of God's chosen nation) was too easy. But your vivid writings and the pictures shook me.
These people, the children of Abraham, have been removed from their heritage so many times, and yet it only seems to prove the ageless beauty of Psalm 90:1, "Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations." The Almighty is their first heritage, and in His faithfulness He will restore their promised land. Amen.
Posted by: Sarah at August 20, 2005 12:19 AM