Same pressures, same kneejerks

For the first time since Israel's creation, Israelis found out what it was like to confront a bulldozer flanked by soldiers- a scene that is familiar to most Palestinian squatters. This time, though, both machine and men were there to perform the unthinkable- remove Jews from Gaza.

For many of these settlers, perhaps, Sharon has committed a crime against the very tenets of Judaism. In a televised address, Sharon confessed that the scenes of evicting Jews from their homes were almost too painful to bear. He pleaded with people not to vent their anger on the soldiers, many of whom were moved to tears by the operation.

"Attack me. I am responsible for this. Attack me. Blame me."

A Jewish terror attack on Palestinians in the West Bank, which left three dead, points to a poignant fact. Faced with the same pressues, both Jew and Palestinian aren't that much different.