devarim

I don't know. As much as I despise ribbons (Like "Support our Troops" on the back of your SUV is really going to change anything over there), the blorange thing seems to be more of a reminder that might have an effect on people's thoughts. Another icon (which I can't find the picture for) blasted it in your face with a blorange circle that said "Ahavat Yisrael is colour blind." I don't think blorange has any chance to erase the differences between strongly held views (especially on this subject where there the stakes are so high either way), but, at least it might remind both sides that we're all in it for the same thing.

Orange has been the color of Gush Qatif from the beginning - coincidentally its the color of Kfar Saba, so when they move us, people won't have to buy new ribbons.
As for the two colors - well, some of us think that the hitnatkut is bad and wrong, but that its inevitable ... so we oppose it but not with the strength of others ... i don't have any ribbons, although the wife and two of the four kids do.

I didn't know about this blue thing. but blue is such a common color to wear. How can you possibly tell if someone is wearing blue because they're anti-anti-disengagement or because half their wardrobe happens to be blue? I had assumed the orange was a practical choice because people don't tend to randomly wear orange so much.

Hmmm. You say that "they chose agression [sic] instead of cooperation." I'd say that given the fervor with which the orange-wearers believe in the cause, it's almost surprising (and heartening) that the march on Gaza did not lead to aggression. What we have here is not just disagreement. It's a breakdown of communication, of any semblance of unity. I'm not sure what's going to happen in the coming weeks, but I, for one, am scared. I'm terrified. Maybe I don't know my Israeli history well enough, but I'd venture that, no matter what the outcome, this is one of the biggest threats to Israel ever. You can fight wars; you can even fight terrorism. But what do you do when the fabric of the society is tearing beneath you?

Felicia - Your son was wearing orange at your un BBQ, but we just assumed that's because he was too young to choose his own clothes. We did have a good time making cracks about your husband's blue-and-orange-striped shirt, though.

ilan - I agree that this is one of the biggest challenges. All I'm saying is that one small decision - the decision to set up "us" and "them" instead of trying to find a symbol that says, "We are all 'us'" - has helped stir up a lot more strife.

oosj - Always happy to see your comments here. :) I did not know that orange was an "official color" for GQ (or anywhere), but even with that information I stand by my argument. My issue is with the choice to pick any color other than "Israeli blue" and to create the concept of settlers vs. government (rather Israelis for Israelis). Even if you want to say that orange was the perfect choice because it represents GQ...what about the (secular) settlers being ousted from a few small communities in the West Bank? Is their plight any less poignant, any less important?

elfsdh - (Can I call you "Mr. Keebler?") I agree with the sentiment entirely. I just wish that the color war hadn't started in the first place. Maybe then we could have focused less energy on in-fighting and making multi-colored ribbons and more time on helping one another get through difficult times.

ok, so it's true that Yoni has 1 orange outfit. but the rest of his wardrobe is mostly blue. and he had sort of chosen his own clothes that day. I'd dressed him in more patriotic colors, but he signaled his disaproval with a leaky diaper. He made it through the rest of the day in orange though, so clearly he liked that one better :-)

But the point of the orange was not to set up "us against them." The Ukraine had just had an "orange revolution." So the supporter of Gaza chose orange arguing that that just as the Ukranians wanted democracy; so too the residents of Gaza want democracy. Vainly they hoped to get the sympathy transferred from the Ukraine to Israel. Now you may argue that their democratic rights are not being denied. Their point was that Sharon was elected on a platform diametrically opposed to a Gaza withdrawal and he broke his promise to abide by the Likud referendum. Frankly I do think that some foreign supporters of disengagement should at least consider that they'd have a distaste for the way PM Sharon is handling the situation if any other world leader tried the same thing.