CNN.com - Israeli troops begin forced?Gaza evictions - Aug 17, 2005

What is there to say really? This is one area of land that is steeped in faith, religion, culture, tradition but most of all, this is a place drenched with the blood of martyrs and terrorists, saints and sinners from all walks of life and possible from the ends of the earth.

This is not so much a dangerous area but a tragic one. The two most dangerous places on earth goes to Kashmire and the Taiwanese Straits. Israel and Palestine are simply steeped in pathos.

Right or wrong, for better or for worse, the supposedly uber-hawk Sharon has faced down the settlers and their lobby and pulled out from some parts of the Gaza. To some, especially the settlers, this is nothing less than a betrayal, not just a political one but also a religious one. To the more secular minded, this is a pullout in the face of terror, a tacit admission that given enough horror, even the Israelis must bow to suicide bombers and the inevitabilities of 'martyrs'. That unlike the IRA, it's impossible to negotiate with an organisation that is devoted to your destruction. And Of course, if you were Palestinian and cannot conceive of politics in this region as anything but a zero-sum game, then this is merely a tactical retreat by Sharon as part of his larger strategy to consolidate and crush all opposition by using the West Bank Wall to starve out the isolated enclaves of Palestinians.

To others, it is a step in the right direction. An acknowledgement that since nothing else has worked why not just do something else. A hope perhaps that like Egypt in the 70s, there can be peace for land. A prayer that maybe this will finally shame the authorities in Palestine to do their jobs and stop allowing terrorist to dictate their foreign policy. And who knows? Maybe the intifada will finally be over and there will be peace in the Middle East.

But maybe, it's just too hot with not enough water and nary a hope for peace.