Memories of the Gush Katif community in Gaza underlie the ruins of the Hamas-run Strip, yet at the time Israel voluntarily withdrew from the coastal enclave as part of disengagement in 2005, the opportunity for the future of the Palestinian Arabs living there entered a new stage.

Jews and others have learned a lesson from that experience. Israel gave the territory to the Palestinians to build a future for its people; instead, they turned it into a center of terrorist activities for what seems to be the sole purpose of destroying Israel. The result did not come as a surprise to those who opposed then-Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s edict.

After the Hamas-led incursion into southern Israeli communities on Oct. 7, 2023, with the support of Gazans and Islamic extremists, it's even more imperative that Israel declares sovereignty over land that secures its future and builds bonds with nations that can be partners in peace. The Jewish people have seen the enormity of Israel's success in a hard-fought war, but…