AN IMPORTANT STEP FORWARD

Caroline Glick talks about the trip made to Homesh in Israel this past week.

The return of thousands of Israelis to the ruins of Homesh village in northern Samaria this week was a bolt from the blue. A rare combination of wisdom, morality and great timing, the demonstration forced the local media to acknowledge the strategic folly and moral bankruptcy of the expulsion and withdrawal policy that transformed some ten thousand Israeli Jews into internal refugees a year and a half ago.

Homesh was one of the 21 communities razed by Ariel Sharon's government in August 2005. Monday thousands marched to its ruins and pledged to rebuild it. Although by Tuesday radio and television newscasters were predictably agitating for the IDF to violently remove the demonstrators, their anti-settler prattle came off flat. The thrill was gone.

After the war in Lebanon last summer, and Gaza's post-withdrawal transformation into a mini-Taliban state, it is no longer possible to sound intelligent while advocating Israeli withdrawals and expulsions. Since few people are willing to sound like fools, most of the broadcasters acknowledged the withdrawal's strategic failure.

Perhaps they'd even think to resign their media posts to show that they realize the game is over?