About the Workshop

Between 2004 and August 15, 2005, Israeli society experienced a deeply divisive and emotionally charged period. It was a time when a single question—"Are you for or against?"—needed no further explanation.​Everyone knew it referred to the Israeli government's decision, under Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, to unilaterally withdraw from the Gaza Strip and parts of northern Samaria (West Bank).

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At the time, I was called up for reserve duty with the IDF Spokesperson's Unit. I personally witnessed the evacuation from within, and was among the last soldiers to leave the settlement of Morag, one of the southernmost communities in Gush Katif.

This process, known as the Disengagement Plan (Tokhnit HaHitnatkut), involved the evacuation of all 21 Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip, home to approximately 8,000 Israeli citizens, as well as four settlements in the northern West Bank. The plan was carried out without a negotiated agreement with the Palestinians, marking a profound and controversial shift in Israeli policy.

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In this workshop, I will take you through the complex and often painful decision-making process that led to the disengagement, how it unfolded on the ground, and what it meant—then and now. We’ll reflect on the hopes that guided the move, the expectations of peace or security it was supposed to bring, and ask: were those hopes fulfilled, or—20 years later—do we now see that something far deeper was also disconnected?

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