Other Countries: Israel (2006)
Israel \\'11THTHE INTIFADA that began in late 2000 petering out, and the number of Palestinian attacks on Israelis drastically reduced, 2005 was the year of "disengagement," the implementation of Prime Minister riel Sharon's strategy to leave Gaza and four settlements in the north- rn West Bank. Israeli politics during 2005 was largely the story of haron's success in outmaneuvering and overcoming those opposed to erritorial withdrawal, including his dramatic departure from the Likud, which he had largely created, and establishment of a new political party, i, committed to disengagement from heavily Arab areas in the ter- .Thestroke he suffered toward the end of the year, however, raised )ts about his plans and his new party as elections loomed both in Is- and the Palestinian Authority. Liomestically, the "social gap" triggered rising concern. While the gov- mt's free-market policies had undoubtedly boosted Israel's eco- performance and enhanced the prosperity of many Israelis, the of those living in poverty also increased, raising the specter of 1dening disparity between rich and poor. This issue was likely to s important a role in the 2006 national elections as the question of )rial disengagement. ENGAGEMENT: POLITICS AND ' •E MEN TAT ION n Approved iiiucr 16, 2004, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon marked a year te unveiled his plan to disengage from Gaza and some West Bank tts by presenting a status report at the annual Herzliya Confer- 197 198 /AMERICAN JEWISH YEAR BOOK, 2006 ence on National Security. He concluded, "Westand before a window of unique opportunity. Who knows when we will have this opportunity in the future?" Many Israelis, however, especially settlers and those sympathetic to them, were resolved to stop any territorial withdrawal, and a number of rabbis had declared it against Jewish law to remove settlements.
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