The Minister of Jerusalem Affairs and Minister of Absorption, took a special tour of the Gush Katif museum today in Jerusalem, in honor of the museum’s renovation and expansion. Minister Elkin was very touched by his tour of the Gush Katif museum, and said: “I stood at the head of the Gush Katif lobby, together with my friend, Minister Uri Ariel. We transferred around a billion NIS to the expellees — something the treasury won’t let me forget till today. And yet that was just a minor restitution for the great offence that has been carried out against the residents of the Gush since what happened.”
Regarding the establishment of the museum in Jerusalem and its recent expansion, the Minister said it breaks one’s heart anew, to see the settlements at the peak of their glory against the backdrop of their eventual destruction. “It is highly important to continue the effort of preserving their legacy. It is a debt we owe ourselves as a nation, to recognize what takes place here. We owe it to ourselves as a nation state — so that we don’t repeat these mistakes. I hope we shall yet return to Gush Katif. I belong to the party that believes there are two banks to the Jordan river, so it goes without saying we also belong to Gaza, which is located on this side of the bank.” Upon visiting the Gush Katif museum in Jerusalem, Minister Elkin said that the Israeli public has learned its lessons from the expulsion. “The expulsion (from Gush Katif) is one the hardest mistakes the Israeli government has committed. It had no justification — then, or now — and if one good thing has come out of it, it is the realization that there shall be no more withdrawals — ever again! I believe the state of Israel has learned its lesson from the expulsion. An absolute majority of the public understands now that withdrawal does not bring anything other than human destruction and reduced security, as well as a host of other problems. I hope we shall not repeat this mistake, and we shall never withdraw again from parts of our land.” Regarding the proposed unity government, MK Elkin said: “Absolutely not! The price would be having to compromise on our ideology.”
Photo Credit: Meir Elifur
