Israel’s Gaza Disengagement Worked Far Too Well

Leaving Gaza in 2005 wasn’t a failed bid for peace but a catastrophically successful effort to freeze the peace process.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is seen from the shoulders up in a close shot that shows his right hand raised. Sharon is a white-haired man in glasses and a dark suit; his expression is serious, head slightly downturned. September 12, 2025, 7:56 AM Comment icon View Comments ( )

On Aug. 15, 2005, Israel began its “unilateral disengagement” from the Gaza Strip. Less than a month later, it had removed 11,000 soldiers and settlers from the territory. Though most Israelis supported the disengagement, the policy divided the governing Likud party. The disengagement’s most high-profile critic—then-Financ

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