NO NEED TO KILL THE FISH – JUST DRY UP THE POND
By: Helen Freedman
This past May 17-26, 2009, AMERICANS FOR A SAFE ISRAEL/AFSI conducted its 30th tour of the Land of Israel. These semi-annual Chizuk missions have always strengthened the participants, although our aim is always to give Chizuk to those we visit in the threatened areas of Israel. The strength, determination, faith and love of the "settlers" always serves to inspire us to return to our homes, determined to do whatever we can to help our brethren. This recent trip left me with a heavy heart. I see more clearly than ever that the Israeli government views the "settlement" Jews as enemies – perhaps even more dangerous to the secular Israel they desire than are the terror wielding Arabs.
On our first day in the Shomron, led by David HaIvri, liaison for the Shomron Community Council, we visited communities where Jews are living in caravans – where classrooms and dormitories are located in caravans. At Havat Gilad, despite the fact that the land is owned by a Jew, Moshe Zar, and named after his murdered son, the government does not provide water or electricity. Not one home is permitted to be built there, nor one caravan brought in.
Rechelim, another "settlement", was built as the Zionist response to terrorism when two women named Rachel were murdered by terrorists. The AFSI Chizuk missions began visiting there when there was only a single tent. Now it has been declared an illegal outpost, even though it is a flourishing community. Its nursery school is in a caravan, and without government funding, it must depend on private funds for a permanent nursery. We learned that 2,450 children in the Shomron lack classrooms because Defense Minister Ehud Barak refuses to sign the necessary papers to add classrooms to existing schools and build nursery schools for young children. Gershon Mesika, the Shomron Regional Head, declared, "There is a concerted governmental effort to hold up construction and the children are being held hostage."
On our second day in the Shomron, with Israel Danziger of Mishmeret Yesha guiding us, we noticed that there was much more Arab traffic now that the roadblocks have been removed. The Arabs were driving beyond the speed limit, passing cars, changing lanes, and generally causing hazardous road conditions. I had never felt so threatened before. Shortly after our return to the U.S., we learned that Dr. David Matar was injured in a car accident with an Arab and a woman was killed by an Arab driver.
At Givat Ronin we found more caravans being used as homes for the twenty families in this ten year old community. Water and electricity are problems here too. In contrast to this impoverished situation, we see that the EU has promised 2.5 billion dollars to the Arabs in the area for new building, new roads, new mosques. As we drive along, we see a U.S. AID sign for Boreen, a PA town, and we discover that the Israeli government is also funding Arab mosques. All of this, while drying up the pond for the Jews.
Near Yitzhar, a Jewish community that has suffered many deaths from terrorism, we pass a Saudi Arabian Equestrian Center. There is an elegant path of palm trees leading up the driveway to the club house. The surrounding lands are filled with palatial Arab homes. This exists in the middle of the Jewish state. Why is this permitted? What difference does it make what words are spoken and what contracts signed when the facts on the ground are so evident? The Arabs are everywhere, and the Jews are holding on by their fingertips.
We arrived at Nachliel in the Binyamin area. Again, there is no government funding for the school. Caravans serve as dorms and classrooms. With the help of the students, we plant tall shade trees. It's a difficult, but satisfying experience. Israel Danziger tells us about the one hundred families that are holding onto the entire Shilo plains area made up of Adei Ad, Kochav Hashachar, and Esh Kodesh. Yad Yair has already been destroyed by the Israeli government. It is now only a slope alongside Ramallah.
We had the extraordinarily good fortune on Tuesday night, May 19, to join a convoy of fourteen buses that would be permitted to enter Shechem/Nablus in order to pray at the Tomb of Joseph. We regularly visited Kever Yosef when it was in Israeli hands and there was an army base adjacent to the Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva at the grave. Even then, we had to travel in special armored buses to enter the PA controlled area. We watched the PLO officers strut around in their decorated uniforms, while the IDF wore fatigues – NOT uniforms – because that would displease the PA. We knew then that it would not be long before Israel would turn over the holy grave of Joseph to the Arabs and they would destroy it, as they did. Why was it all so obvious to us, and such a mystery to the Israeli government?
It was wonderful being back at the holy place, and experiencing the reverence and love pouring out from the crowd that pressed to board the buses and enter the Kever area. It was bittersweet however, since we were like thieves in the night, entering after midnight, and returning before dawn, as per the agreement with the Arabs and the IDF. And this was the holy grave of our forefather Joseph, and this was in the holy land of Israel, where Jews have become the outsiders.
As we drove out of Ariel along Route 60, we saw the spreading houses of Ramallah. The Arab homes are lavish and built close to the road. One eight story building overlooked the road, and could provide a perfect launching area for attacks on Jewish drivers. Once again the Arab taxis were a concern as they disregarded normal traffic rules and drove recklessly, as though they were the only ones on the road. We approached Pisgat Ze'ev at the northern end of Jerusalem and saw that an Arab home was being built at the main intersection of the city. We subsequently learned that many Arabs are buying apartments in the city, hoping to drive the Jews out as they move in. The same is true in French Hill. Driving south we came to Har Gilo and had a view of the ghastly concrete wall wrapping itself around Bethlehem and Gush Etzion. This is an ugly scar and distressing sight because we know the wall is not meant for security, but as a dividing line between Israeli and PA territory.
We arrived in Bat Ayin where Shlomo Nativ was killed a few weeks before, by an Arab wielding a pick-ax. Shlomo's friend, Yair Gamliel, was wounded in that attack. The Arab escaped. Gamliel's father has been in prison for 22 years for a supposed attempt at a bombing which never took place, and which he contends was never meant to occur. He was only allowed to visit his wounded son in the hospital while in chains and surrounded by guards. While Arab prisoners are allowed visits with their families, the Jewish prisoners must see their family members while behind bars. The discrimination against Jews is painful to witness.
We drove south on Route 60 past areas where 20-30,000 Arabs live. It was not surprising to learn that the Arab villages south of Hebron are under Hamas control. We were at the edge of the Judean desert, passing Carmel, Maon, Sussya, Beit Yatir, and Bedouin camps where the shepherds were grazing their sheep right up to the fence. We stopped for a visit at Chavat Magen David, the home of Jonathan Shareth and his new wife, Yael. Beginning in 2000, Jonathan had built everything himself, and we admired his handicraft. He spoke of the difficulties he encountered in trying to make a go of it alone.
The next day, led by Chaim Silberstein of the Jerusalem Capital Development Fund, we were on our way to Kever Rachel, the grave of Mother Rachel. Chaim told us the touching story of how it was the tears of Menachem Porush that convinced PM Rabin to include Kever Rachel into Area C – the Israeli controlled area, rather than A, where it might have landed because of its location in Bethlehem. Sur Bacha was pointed out to us. It is an Arab community in eastern Jerusalem that houses over 30,000 illegal Arab buildings. We hear no outcries calling for the destruction of these homes that threaten to swallow up Israel's capital city. One wonders how the world can believe that Israel mistreats its Arabs so badly when we see how they swarm into Israel's cities and lands, not waiting for permits or legal papers to begin building their homes. Logic makes us ask how bad the Israelis can be if Arabs are desperate to live on their land.
Chaim gave us a lesson on the ten Jewish neighborhoods on the periphery of eastern Jerusalem in which almost one quarter of a million Jews live. These are thriving communities like French Hill, Gilo and East Talpiot. The Arabs accuse the Israelis of having "occupied" their land and building on it. These are the "settlements" they insist on evacuating. The idea is preposterous. We looked past Ir David, the City of David, towards Silwan, the previous home of Jewish Yeminites. Today, Beit Yonatan is the one Jewish building standing proudly amongst the Arab dwellings, bravely flying the Israeli flag. How each inch that the Jews gain is such a victory, since it is done in spite of the obstructionist Israeli government!
Another such example of Jewish victory is in the Dr. Irving and Cherna Moskowitz housing development, Ma'Aleh HaZaytim. At present, 52 Jewish families are living there, surrounded by Arabs. In the Shimon HaTzaddik neighborhood there are seven Jewish families living amongst Arabs who have squatted on Jewish land. On our way there, we passed an illegal Arab auto dealer's "showroom," brazenly built without any permits. The Arab proprietor had no reason to hide his acquisition. He knew no one would stop him.
We met with Arieh King, a one man crusader for Jewish land – in Jerusalem and throughout the country. He railed against the ugly concrete dividing wall built inside Jerusalem, which is establishing the Arab side of the city, and keeps some Jewish communities on the wrong side. In the north, near Ramallah, land owned by the JNF is being lost to Arabs. Residents of Ramallah move into Jerusalem and members of the PA illegally take their places in Ramallah. There is no checking of legality because the wall makes that impossible. Of course, Jews are not allowed into Arab areas. There are actually parts of Jerusalem that are designated Area A – no Jews allowed. Arieh took us to the old Atarot airport, in northern Jerusalem, where we saw for ourselves that the Arab population had proliferated, with new building everywhere, This previous JNF owned land is now Judenrein. There was an UNWRA school located there, with teachers from Hamas. Because MK Dr. Arieh Eldad was with us, along with members of his Hatikvah party, we were able to enter the area and actually drive along the old airstrip, verifying the Arab take-over of the area. It was interesting to learn that Arab refugee camps – Calandria and Shoafat, were also built on JNF land. The E1 corridor, linking French Hill and Maaleh Adumim, and owned by Persian Jews is also under threat. The Arabs would love to break the linkage in Jerusalem. Will they win this battle also?
The Arab takeover of Israel is especially apparent in Hebron. Despite Rav Eliezer Waldman's words of optimism at the beginning of our visit, the reality that David Wilder presented to us was very distressing. Arabs have 98% of the city. The Jewish 2% also has Arabs living in it. When one looks over the city from Tel Rumeida, all one can see is Arab building. The Jews are confined to one street, and yet, they encapsulate the heart of religious Zionism in Israel. It is the Hebron Jew who has endured against all odds, from the time of King David's kingdom in the city. The 2,000 year old Maarat HaMachpelah, the burial site of Jewish matriarchs and patriarchs, is testament to the eternal nature of Jewish life in Israel. The Jewish "pond" in Hebron is remarkably small, but the "fish" breathe the holy air of Israel's second holiest city, and they will survive.
On Shabbat, we had a walking tour with Bracha Slae of Ateret Cohanim. With two guards accompanying us, we walked into the former Jewish Quarter, now called the Muslim Quarter, of the Old City. We found many young Jewish families living in renovated apartments scattered throughout the area. Their children played happily on the rooftops, unable to go into the streets without guards protecting them. We were impressed by the courage of those who chose to live amongst hostile Arabs, some of whom glared at us as we walked through the narrow, crowded passageways. At Mincha time we prayed at the Kotel Hakatan, with hundreds of white shirted Yeshiva boys. Afterwards, it was inspiring to see hundreds of them singing together in the Cardo. Their voices rose in the late afternoon light, and my heart was gladdened. No matter that wherever we looked there was illegal Arab building. There was also the Jewish heart and mind that reached out to HaShem and justified our existence in the Jewish homeland. Nothing could change that. Our spirits were lifted also by the newly renovated Ohel Yitzchak synagogue in the Old City. It's a gem of a building, restored through the generosity of Cherna and Dr. Irving Moskowitz, who have left their imprint throughout Israel – and especially in Jerusalem.
We were concluding our Chizuk mission with a series of visits that have become mandatory in the AFSI itinerary. Our friends from the former Gush Katif communities, which were destroyed in August 2005 – four years ago – and who are still living in tents, caravans, apartment buildings, and all manner of temporary lodging – have become very dear to our hearts. We wouldn't consider being in Israel without visiting them in their far flung places. Anita Tucker, one of the heroines of the Jewish refugees, and Dror Vanunu, who had been with us from our very first visits to Gush Katif, and is now an official spokesman for the group, met us at Yesadot, a farm area in the Negev. Anita explained that it took 3-1/2 years for the government to approve this permanent home site for the Netzer Hazani outcasts. Building is scheduled to begin in the fall to accommodate forty families. I looked out at this barren land which now encompasses the dreams of Anita Tucker and her fellow displaced persons, and I couldn't stop the tears from gathering in my eyes. I remembered the lush, beautiful, and bountiful hot houses that Anita would take us to where we would feast on tomatoes, celery, and a variety of wonderful vegetables. Would the Tucker family be able to re-create what had been destroyed? Would their neighbors be able to do the same? It was a gargantuan task, rebuilding an entire community, along with the farms and homes. Anita and the Netzer Hazani people will do it – despite the hardships and obstacles thrown in their paths the past four years. Their pond was destroyed, but they will build anew, defying all odds.
We stopped at Yad Binyamin to meet a spokesman for Job Katif. This is an extraordinary institution, begun by Rav Rimon from Alon Shvut, designed to retrain the members of the 21 Gush Katif communities who found themselves unemployed when their farms and communities were destroyed. Over 80% of the Gush Katif residents worked in their communities, so the expulsion and destruction also cost them their jobs. Job Katif had succeeded in helping over 1100 people start new businesses and get re-training. All of this was done without any government assistance. Private donations helped to keep the pond from drying up.
We roamed through the large caves of the beautiful Lachish area, some of which were traced to the Bar Kochbar period. We learned that some of the Gush Katif transplants will be settling there in the very near future.
Our last stop was in Nitzan where 550 families live in caravans which they jokingly call, "caravillas." They are also provided with sewer pipes for protection against rockets, and these are called "sewervillas." Moshe Saperstein refuses to enter the shelter for reasons not too difficult to understand. Rachel Saperstein, always the optimist, was especially concerned about government neglect. The lighting was out – the cleaning services eliminated, and there was no money for a makeshift summer camp for the 300 children of Nitzan – most of them from the former Nevei Dekalim. We learned that although 70 families are building today in the new Nitzan, 20% can't build because their compensation money was spent on their daily living expenses. Without jobs, they had no choice but to draw on whatever available funds there were in order to live.
When we spoke to some of the Gush Katif transplants from Eli Sinai, Dugit, and Nissanit – the northernmost Gush Katif communities, who are now living in temporary housing in Ashkelon, there was a feeling of bitterness. They spoke abut the Erez crossing which had succeeded as an industrial zone housing 120 Jewish and 120 Arab businesses until 2004 when Hamas terrorism overtook it. The entire zone was bulldozed with no compensation for the lost businesses. Out of the 160 former Gush Katif families now living in Ashkelon, most are renting homes. Four families were able to build new homes, and twenty are in the process of getting permission. The vast majority are unable to build because they have run out of money. There is a Commission of Inquiry investigating the failure of the government to find solutions. One wonders what findings will emerge from the government investigating itself, and what actions will be taken to remedy the situation.
Another must visit city on our itinerary is Sderot, and that was our next destination. Although the rocket fire has decreased in the city so that there is some semblance of normalcy, we visited a home where a Kassam had recently landed in the rear of the building, smashing a window next to the bed on which the owner's grandson was sleeping. An entire rear room had collapsed, with shrapnel cutting right through the walls, leaving pock marks everywhere.
We went to the police station to see the display of rockets. Of the 8,000 plus rockets that were fired from Gaza, there were 1,000 on display. Although Sderot had been targeted before the expulsion from Gush Katif, there had been a 300% increase in rocket attacks since the expulsion. And these rockets were deadly, being packed with ball bearings and screws in order to inflict maximum damage.
The bright spot in this city of 20,000 is the Hesder Yeshiva, run by Rabbi Fendel. On a previous visit, we had seen the sleeping palettes of the Yeshiva boys all in one large, protected room, and the Yeshiva itself as a run-down building. What we saw this time was somewhat miraculous. A beautiful new Yeshiva, sprawling campus, protected dorm rooms, have all been built with some help from the government, but most of the costs being covered by private donations. One must marvel at the transformation, amidst all the rocket fire. Again, there was Sderot, bombarded by Kassam rockets, with the government doing nothing to protect its citizens. One would think drying up this pond would send the fish fleeing for their lives. Not so. The city is thriving, with much of the thanks going to Rabbi Fendel and his Hesder Yeshiva boys.
We were coming to the end of our trip, our last stop before heading for the airport for the return trip to New York. We had been invited by some young Israeli women serving in the National Service to visit them in Yaffo. The ancient city, mentioned in the story of Jonah and the whale, lies adjacent to Tel Aviv, with a population breakdown of 55% Jewish and 45% Arab. As we walked along the main street towards the port, we saw that most of the stores were run by Arabs. We were stunned to learn that 80% of the Jewish girls were married to Arabs. The work of the National Service girls, committed to one or two years of full time effort, was to expose the unmarried girls to their Jewish heritage through teaching programs and service at community centers. The hope was that by learning the traditions of their own culture and religion, they would not be susceptible to the temptations the Arabs offered them. It was shocking to think that in the Land of Israel there are Jews who don't know who they are.
Our beautiful trip to Israel – wonderful as always – was tinged with sadness as we recognized the many problems that Israel must solve; however, as always, we are filled with optimism that HaShem's promise to the Jewish people will be realized, and we've only just begun.
Helen Freedman is the Executive Director of Americans For a Safe Israel/AFSI. She can be reached at the AFSI office: 212-828-2424;800-235-3658; afsi@rcn.com; cell: 917-886-0729
