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Last Updated: Friday, 26 August 2005, 09:20 GMT 10:20 UK
Gaza withdrawal: Anita Tucker
The BBC News website and BBCArabic.com spoke to four Israelis and four Palestinians for their thoughts after Israel completed its withdrawal of settlers from Gaza and some parts of the West Bank.

MEET THE PANEL
Name:Anita Tucker
Age:41
Lives:Formerly of Gush Katif
Works:Farmer

They have dumped us in the Golan Heights. My sons are back at our town packing up the last of our stuff. As they were there they watched our houses being bulldozed.

We have no money yet, we're being treated like we're refugees. We're living in some old houses with mildew and no solution to get the kids to school.

On the day of the evacuation, the solders came in marching three by three and knocked on the door.

GAZA PANEL: FINAL REACTION
I was home, watching the flames from the next door neighbour's house. She decided to burn it as a symbolic act.

I decided not to pack anything, so put best my tablecloths on the table, made a nice breakfast then asked all the soldiers to sit down. I told them about my life there, said the whole thing was immoral and that they were doing something they would regret.

I asked them to tell me about their feelings; we had a long discussion and finally they all cried, except one, the commander.

Afterwards, we left together with the soldiers and were escorted out. Later, my husband went back to collect some things and found the commander crying at our table.

Whoever sent them was evil.

Afterwards, the army buses took us to the Temple Mount where we prayed for our homes.

People here have their home in their backpacks. People forgot to bring toothbrushes. The people been very helpful, here in Jerusalem and Golan heights, but the government needs to give compensation.

We've asked the authorities to keep us together as a community, to help us. We want to be constructive.

We've located a place in south which we hope to negotiate for. It's an ideal place for temporary housing, although it could still take three to four months to sort out.

Long term, we don't know. It may take two years or more to find permanent housing.

The government seems to be stalling on this. We are constantly in negotiations with them and it's tiring.

I see peace being as far away as ever. It was much closer when we were there and living side by side.

Now we are enabling terror to be stronger, to spread to Europe and the rest of world.

We have taken a step towards terror.


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