Israeli troops clear protestors from Gaza synagogues

ISRAELI forces stormed two synagogues in the Gaza Strip yesterday where hundreds of settlers had holed up.

They were hoping to clear the last major bastions of resistance to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s plan to end his country’s 38-year occupation of the Gaza Strip.

Troops at the synagogue in Gaza’s largest settlement, Neve Dekalim, wrestled with protesters who lay on the ground with their arms linked together and began dragging away some 1,500 settlers and their supporters by their arms and legs.

Protesters chanted “blasphemy, blasphemy” as soldiers dragged them out. One religious soldier, who wore a skullcap, suffered a panic attack and was taken away by medics. He also muttered “blasphemy”.

“Don’t expel Jews,” the crowd chanted as police charged into the prayer hall. Protesters booed, whistled and threw water on troops.

At Kfar Darom, helmeted riot forces stormed the rooftop of the synagogue in the hardline settlement, battling dozens of protesters who threw sand and buckets of green liquid, sprayed foam and tried to hit officers with sticks.

Some of the troops landed on the roof in a shipping container, and held up plastic shields. Others tried to reach the rooftop from ladders, as teenagers poured sand down on them, and tried to shake away the ladder with a stick. Throughout this, the roof was sprayed by water cannon from below.

Eventually, the first protesters were loaded into a shipping container and lowered from the roof. It was the most violent confrontation yet between protesters and troops during the Gaza pullout.

It was no coincidence that settlers chose synagogues to make their last stand. Many of the settlers and their supporters are devout Jews who believe the West Bank and Gaza were promised to the Jews by God. They say their eviction is sacrilege.

Meanwhile, security forces dragged screaming residents out of homes, and settlers elsewhere burned houses and fields in protest.

However, security officials said they expected to clear out all 21 Gaza settlements by Tuesday, more than two weeks ahead of schedule.