Gaza pullout hits home An Israeli ex-pat in Portland, Robert Tillman eyes Palestinian intent with skepticism BY JASON BASINER

It is 6:30 p.m. and Portland resident Robert Tillman is where he is every day at this time — in front of the television, his attention transfixed on the nightly news. Perhaps the biggest world story of late has been the historic Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, as Prime Minister Ariel Sharon hands the disputed land over to Palestinian control. Though this story is undoubtedly scrutinized by the general public all over America, it is people like Tillman who take this story literally to heart.

Robert Tillman is an Israeli who fulfilled his lifelong dream of moving to the US in 1979, after being born and raised in Israel and serving three years of mandatory armed service in the Israeli army. He will tell you that he quickly became spoiled by the excitement of the American way of life and, despite his steadfast loyalty for his native land, he plans on spending the rest of his life here.

But first and foremost, Tillman is Israeli.

During the past few weeks the Israeli government and armed forces have prepared and carried out the task of removing over 9000 Jews from land most Jews say was given to them by God. But because of several years of violently hostile relations with the 1.5 million Palestinians who also claim the area as their divine providence, Prime Minister Sharon has decided to pull out the Jewish settlers in hopes of creating the means for the development of a Palestinian state.

Tillman himself believes that this move is the right one to make, but remains very skeptical over what the Palestinians plan to do with this land: "I am hoping, as an Israeli, the Palestinians realize that this is their opportunity to do something positive with that land, to show the world that they want peace and that they want a state."

A word that comes up often in Tillman’s conversations about Israel and the Palestinians is terrorism, and when he speaks of it he does so aggressively with fierce conviction. At times, his tone boarders on anger.

"Do I have anger toward the average Palestinian? No," says Tillman. "Do I have anger toward terrorist groups like Hamas and Jihad who perform acts of terror and suicide bombings? Yes."

For the average American, it is hard to grasp what it must be like to be forced by one’s own government to leave the land where one lives, but Tillman proposes that for most involved in the Israeli pullout, it is even more complex than if it were to occur here in the US.

"These people believe that this land was given to them by God," says Tillman. "Americans don’t have attachments to the actual land, but rather to the opportunities associated to the land. Most of these people who were removed have very strong ties to the land because it was promised to them by the Creator."

Tillman also says that it was hard for him to see Jews being dragged and pulled from their homes, and all the tears and sadness that many Israelis have vowed that they would never forget or forgive.

"When one Jew is fighting another Jew, it is never something you want to see," he says.

Tillman feels sympathy for the thousands of Israelis who chose not to leave the land voluntarily, but said that if he were living in the Gaza Strip, he would follow the government’s orders.

"Being that I am a secular Jew and in hoping that peace can be achieved, I would probably leave without promoting a struggle," he says.

Among the many radical and fundamentalist Palestinians, especially within groups like Hamas, the Israeli pullout is celebrated as success, a vindication of the terror which has taken the lives of countless Jews in recent years.

Tillman is quick to assert this as completely false.

"Israel, as the world knows, and so truthfully the Arab world knows, is a very powerful country in the Middle East, and we will not sit back if we are attacked by another country or by terrorists."

Sitting straight up in his chair and pronouncing each word as not to be at all misunderstood, he continues.

"In my opinion the pullout was done solely on the basis of security and the opportunity, I repeat, the opportunity to give peace a chance."

Tillman, like the majority of Israelis, wants to see peace, and more than anything wants the Palestinians to follow suit. He views the withdrawal not as a gift, but a test.

"This is the opportunity for the Palestinians to show Israel, and the world, what its objectives are with this piece of land. Is it ready to start in the process of building a state; to have peace with their neighbors who will be Israelis and Jews? Or do they have in their mind the sole destruction of the state of Israel? Which will never happen."

Jason Basiner can be reached at jbiddyrules@hotmail.com