To me, the case for disengagement is slightly less lose-lose than the case for continuing to expend much time and money and IDF lives protecting a few thousand people. Yes, Hamas will see it as a victory. Yes, Gaza will become a new terrorist state. Yes, there is Jewish ancient history and roots in Gaza as well as Judea and Samaria. Yes, it is a government ethnically cleansing its own people, if you want to turn on the emotional soundbites.

The alternative is to continue to expend a lot of resources riding herd on said terrorists - for the forseeable future? Now is the best time to jettison a no-win situation, with the most Israel-sympathetic US administration in decades (yeah I know, Condi Rice, AIPAC spies, blah blah blah), with three years left to guard Sharon's flank after he declares war on the new state of Palestine the minute another rocket comes over the fence. (If the Palestinians were smart, they would be peaceful and conciliatory until Bush leaves office. But they've never been that smart.) Perhaps Gaza will erupt in all-out civil war and save Sharon the trouble. (A side benefit is that the attendant anguish and the reality of giving something for nothing will make withdrawal from the West Bank harder to sell.)

We deposed Saddam partly because hanging on to the status quo was putting us in a progressively worse position, and 9-11 illustrated that so vividly that even an avowedly isolationist president had to get off his butt and pay attention. To determinedly uproot terrorism at its core by getting rid of as many enablers as we can, put the rest on notice, and assist those willing to change to develop representative governments, is a longterm project with no end in sight. A million things can go wrong to derail it or let it run out of steam. But the only way out is through. Same with Gaza.

Some other perspectives on the disengagement:

Oliver Kamm has his usual cogent remarks on this topic. Read the whole thing.

A Blue and Orange love story.

Lots of running commentary from Imshin, just scroll.

Tel Aviv, August 11th. 300,000 people.
Jerusalem, August 10th. 100,000 people.
In a country of only six million. (via Bokertov, Boulder.)
More photos from OU.

Israeli Leftists against disengagement.

Rick Richman collects some pros and cons from the NY Jewish Week.

LGF is hosting Gaza Watch, where you can scroll through photos sent in by ordinary people on site.

Ben Chorin reports from the protests and concludes with a fable.

Naomi Regan.

UPDATE: Just in case you thought the Left was in favor of disengagement, read this paranoid essay over at Norm's place.