(CBS 5) Watching Jewish settlers leave their homes is
heartbreaking for Rabbi Gedalia Potash of San Francisco. Several of his
friends are among the settlers who refuse to go.
"They'll go with a fight," Potash says. "I believe they should, because every human being deserves to stand up for themselves."
He still hopes that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will change his mind about the withdrawal.
"This does not help the peace process," Potash says.
But
protestors from Jewish Voice for Peace disagree. Some from the group
say the pullout may just be a ploy by Sharon to get out of lesser
sites, while strengthening control in other parts of the West Bank,
where most of the 240,000 Jewish settlers live.
"This is a good
first step, and the momentum has to keep building," Liat Weingart says.
"The settlements need to end everywhere. So we need to remove ALL the
settlements."
Rabbi Potash says a total pullout could be disastrous.
"Where
do you draw the line? Where do you stop? Where does it become
acceptable to say we've given you this amount, we're not giving you
anymore," asks Potash.
Nearly two thirds of Jewish Americans
support the withdrawal plan. Yitzak Santis is with the Jewish Community
Relations Council. His opinion lies somewhere in between. He thinks the
pullout is a major jump toward peace. But says the Palestinians must
reciprocate.
"This could be the beginning of a Palestinian
state," Santis says. "This could be the beginning of a two-state
solution. It's up to the Palestinians to grasp this opportunity to make
peace with Israel."