Members of the Yachad party on Tuesday, 5 Adar visited Yishuv Nitzan and its residents who were expelled from Gush Katif by the government in the 2005 Disengagement Plan. Yishai said “Every child in Israel must come here and see the memorial to Gush Katif to see the terrible tragedy that occurred with his own eyes”.

A number of residents of the community joined the Yachad delegation, expressing support for the new party. Also present was Rav Yigal Kirschenzeft, a Chabad shaliach and one of the veterans of Gush Katif, who briefed the Yachad delegation on the educational institutions and the status of the expellees. The rav explained that even today, some of the former Gaza residents do not have a permanent home.

The visitors saw a video and received an explanation regarding the shuls and religious institutions uprooted in the expulsion. When the saw the portion of the N’vei Dekalim shul being evacuated, some of the visitors had tears in their eyes.

Yishai, who was the head of Shas, objected strongly to the government plan and broke from the government as a result. Some of those present reminded Yishai of his visit to Gush Katif shortly before the expulsion.

Amital Bareli, number six on the Yachad list, spoke of the need to return to Gush Katif. “We came here to express our feelings. Not just feelings of solidarity with the residents and all they have endured since the expulsion, but to connect with the residents who one day hope to return to those places from which they were expelled. While for some it appears a distant dream, for us, we are confident B’ezras Hashem with a herculean effort we will abolish the disengagement law and return to Gush Katif and Northern Shomron”.

Rabbi Kobi Yakir, a candidate of the party who was active in the struggle to prevent the expulsion commented as the end of their visit. “We see the expulsion, the pain and destruction and it is clear that in these days that the only right wing that is relevant is one based in Torah. ימין ה’ רוממה. Only if we settle the land in a torah way can we succeed. This is the way of Yachad and all who believe in H’s mitzvos of inheriting and building of Torah in Eretz Yisrael”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)