Sometimes it seems myths about the Gaza Strip are endless. With Israel disengaging, now is a good time to do some myth-busting: Let's start with the fact that it was the PLO and the UN which forced Palestinians to stay in refugee camps, not Israel. In fact, Israel actually built homes and neighborhoods in Gaza for Palestinian refugees but the UN condemned Israel's efforts, demanding that the refugees be returned to their hovels. The PLO, for its part, wasn't so subtle – it threatened to kill any refugee who dared to move.
In his interview with the Israeli daily Haaretz, Dov Weissglas, a close advisor to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, was asked about Israel's decision to withdraw from the Gaza Strip. According to American media coverage of this interview, Weissglas suggested that Ariel Sharon's true intention in planning the Gaza disengagement is to freeze the peace process and prevent a Palestinian state. However, this was not his message at all; his words were taken out of context.
NPR turned to a known partisan Guardian reporter on Tuesday morning, May 18, 2004, to discuss Israel's military actions in the Gaza Strip. As often is the case, NPR included no Israeli voices to respond.