Maj.-Gen. (res.) Uzi Dayan, former head of the National Security Council, still struggles to understand how the government in 2005 went ahead with the decision to uproot Gush Katif in Gaza and four other towns in northern Samaria.

"I was the National Security adviser during (then-Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon's time," Dayan, president of the Security Council for Israel and chairman of the Mifal HaPayis national lottery, told Radio Darom.

"It's true we really didn't get along, but mostly regarding (his) corruption. In those days Sharon didn't even consider talking about a unilateral disengagement like that."

Dayan, who previously served as IDF Deputy Chief of Staff, noted "we mark this weekend Tisha B'Av," referring to a Jewish fast day commemorating several national tragedies over the generations, most notable among them the destruction of the First and Second Temple. The day falls this Saturday, but as Jews don't fast on Shabbat it will be held on Sunday.

"This event (the Disengagement - ed.) joins the five national tragedies of Tisha B'Av. It is rightly connected now to the uprooting from Gush Katif," said Dayan.

Ironically, the Disengagement was scheduled precisely for Tisha B'Av back in 2005, an unintentional decision based on the usage of the non-Hebrew calendar.

It was pushed back a day to the tenth of the Jewish month of Av, rather than the ninth when the fast is held. However, it has been noted that the burning and destruction of the Temple completed and culminated on the tenth of Av.

Dayan said his Security Council for Israel has conducted a poll that will be presented on Wednesday at a conference at Bar Ilan University, according to which more than 50% of Israelis think the state should return to Gush Katif.

In a troubling sign, the poll also found that a similar number of half the population would not out of hand rule out a similar disengagement plan against Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.