Time to Expand, Plant and Build on the hills outside our communities!
This past Friday, when we arrived for our weekly activity at Netzer, we found an Arab tractor clearing land near the fence outside Elazar. Also, on the old “Derech-HaAvot” Road at the bend near Netzer, Arabs were on their knees weeding and preparing soil for planting – and all this on State lands.
Elazar’s security official, summoned by our participants, succeeded in expelling the tractor from the area. Recently, the Arabs, with international funding, are accelerating their expropriation of State lands not only at Netzer but throughout Judea and Samaria.
Today there is a struggle over every piece of land. The hands of the Jews are tied by the “Freeze”, while the Arabs are building a Palestinian State undisturbed. There are Arab trucks full of building supplies, accelerated Arab construction and Arabs planting up to the fences around Jewish communities – and all this right outside our windows. The newest wave of Arab stonethrowing is also an indication to their growing self-confidence.
And the Jewish response? Silence. A dangerous situation has been created in which we have settled in our own communities, and have stopped being active on behalf of the land of Israel. It’s as though there is no destructive political process threatening the entire settlement enterprise in Judea and Samaria. Everyone is busy consolidating our communities – in education, Torah, Hi-tech and tourism. That’s fine for normal times. But these are fateful days. Our silence conveys a message of resignation. Our Prime Minister cannot even claim that there is opposition from within. Since in Judea and Samaria all is quiet… the focus has shifted to Jerusalem.
So what do we do?
We must act on different levels:
1) on the ground
2) hasbara
3) on the political level
4) educational – for longterm purposes
* On the political level the Yesha Council ,the local councils and others are working
* Educational – our camp is really investing and succeeding all over
* On the ground, in the actual physical struggle for the land, the activities are unfortunately not enough
. And this activity is crucial for it is this activity on the ground that motivates politicians to act; it is this activity on the ground that allows us to do hasbara and talk about the struggle for the land, not only from inside our beautiful yeshiva halls.
* Hasbara – it is very hard to do hasbara sitting in our couches and talk only in theory about the problem of the Arab take-over of our land, the destruction of our landscape by Arab quarries, the stealing of our water by Arabs and the destruction of our infrastructure by them. We have to physically be on the ground ,where it all is happening. We must connect with the land and feel it.
Therefor we call upon all: come and join us on the ground! Erets Israel is calling us!
We call upon all the communities to go out to plant and build on the hills of Judea and Samaria!
Yishuvim and residents interested in joining the activities, please contact the people mentioned below
On Lag BaOmer, Sunday May 2nd, 2010
at Netzer, in Gush Etzion,
between Alon Shvut and Elazar,
we’ll be planting at 3:30 PM with the participation
of Rabbi Gideon Perl, Rabbi of Gush Etzion
The goal: to preserve State lands and to halt our dangerous silence.
Women for Israel’s Tomorrow )Women in Green) –Judea Action Committees-
the Yibaneh Fund – The Committee for a Jewish Shdema – Garin Netzer
Transportation by registration; from Kiryat Arba Hevron 3:00pm- from Tsomet Hagush 3:20pm- Efrat south 3:25pm
for details and registration: Yehudit Katsover 050-7161818 Nadia Matar 050-5500834 Uri Palsi 050-5520487
Program of Activities to Strengthen Our Hold on Netzer, Shdema and Eretz Yisrael (lectures are in Hebrew)
Netzer Sunday, May 2, 2010, at 3:30 PM,
Lag BaOmer, Planting in Netzer with Rabbi Gideon Perl.
Netzer Friday, May 7, at 9:00 AM,
Lecture by Shimon Yitzchak (Schitz), who fought in the battles to liberate Jerusalem.
Netzer Friday, May 14 (Rosh Chodesh Sivan), at 9:00 AM,
“Those Who Sow in Tears Shall Reap in Joy” – Yisrael Shadiel, Kfar Etzion.
Jericho Thursday, May 20 (Isru Chag Shavuot),
tour of Jericho led by Dr. Hagai Ben-Artzi (Time to be announced)
Netzer Friday, May 21, at 9:00 AM,
Lecture about Bar-Kokhba and a tour of the cave by Migdal Oz – Arye Klein
Shdema Friday, May 28, at 9:00 AM,
Lecture on Be’Ha’alot’cha by Ruti Walfish of Tekoa
Netzer Friday, June 4, at 9:00 AM,
“The Difference between America and Rome”: A tour of the “Derech HaAvot” road, with Arye Klein.
Netzer Friday, June 11, at 9:00 AM,