VISITING THE OUTPOSTS 090923

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HORESHA

A serpentine paved road winds up the steep side of a mountain leading to the quiet and beautiful community of Horesha in the central Binyamin Hills. From this summit you can see the view of the Mediterranean coast, including the cities of Ashkelon, Ashdod, Tel Aviv, Netanya and Naharia. To the east, it's difficult to ignore the encroachment of Ramallah with its illegal neighborhoods being built. Only outer frames make up the structures which remain unoccupied. In reality, this is the real illegal expansion Israel is facing as Arabs continue to build massive structures to lay claim to the Land which is not theirs.
Yet, the plight of the residents at Horesha is the recent notification from the court that within the next month it is possible that Jewish homes will be destroyed, EVEN THOUGH, the infrastructure of Horesha was paid for and built by the government when they encouraged Jews to settle there; and EVEN THOUGH, the residents acquired the proper permits to start building when they were encouraged to start building on the premises some ten years ago. They have just learned the last signature needed to secure the hilltop is that of the Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, who refuses to sign on the dotted line.

B'NEI ADAM

The outpost of B'nei Adam is located east of Yishuv Adam in the southern Binyamin hills. The difficulty of arriving to the location makes anyone wonder why even the military would bother to destroy it unless they are just desparately bored and need to run a training maneuver. The few sparse houses stand on rocky, barren land, yet the young residents are digging and tilling the soil by hand. With tenacity, hope and faith, they are planting new saplings for the future in odedience to Hashem's instructions in the Torah that when you come into the Land He has given, you are to plant fruit-bearing trees. As with so many other outposts, a shadow lingers over their daily lives, the uncertainty of tomorrow as they are scheduled for destruction.

RONEN FARM

After a visit at Mtzpeh Yosef, we had picnic lunch at the Ronen Farm. The residents were warm and hopitable, but the children were somewhat perplexed and fearful of strangers since they have been harrassed so much by the Left and anxious about rumors of loosing their homes. Yes, even the children from the best of homes live with daily fear and anxiety. One youngster was home alone and folded over from an anxiety attack that we too were here to invade her home and she was helpless since Abba and Ima were gone at the time. She could not be consoled as strangers invaded her home, until Abba soon arrived and she could be safe in his loving arms. Children have a unique ability to internalize and process everything before them, whether its threats of being uprooted or someone bearing gifts of peace. Lately, fear of outsiders has manifested because of the incitement of Arabs by the Left and the remiss security of our Israeli government.

GILAD FARM

The air was still full of the nauseous smell of smoke as our two full buses pulled up to Havat Gilad. There was absolutely no fresh air to breathe for the ashes. Erev Rosh Hashanah residents ran out of synagogue to the alarm of fire. The Arabs had taken advantage of the time, knowing the worshippers would be in service for the Holy Day. They threw molitov cocktails onto the hills and the caravans. One family caravan was totally wiped out and another is not livable due to the damage. While visiting we observed another catastrophe: the shoddy rooms used for a children's house with the most minimal bare necessities for children's care. Although the children were laughing and playing with the meager swing someone had donated, it breaks the heart to know they are so deprived compared to the average child in our society today.

SHOMRON: HAVAT GILAD

From 090707 Gilad Farm

Each so-called 'illegal outpost' has been started in memory of a Jew who was assassinated by terrorists. So it was with Havat Gilad (Hebrew: חַוַּת גִּלְעָד‎, lit. Gilad Farm) when Gilad Zar was murdered at Jit junction. It was established in 2002 named after Gilad Zar by his father and mother, Moshe and Yael Zar, who wanted to live on property close to where their son was ruthlessly murdered, a way of redeeming the innocent blood of their son.
Although the proof of purchase has not been proven satisfactorily in the court system, Moshe Zar claims he purchased the land from the Arab owner. Immediately, his younger son, Itai Zar and his wife started out living in 2 shipping containers.
Havat Gilad has remained a central controversial issue. There have been several attempts by surrounding hostile Arabs to invade the premises and destroy it. The provocateurs are leftist inciters to violence and Peace Now.
1.) Troops Oust Leftists and Arabs from Havat Gilad
Reported: May/08/09
(IsraelNN.com) Police and soldiers removed 30 Arabs and 10 leftists who came to the Samarian hilltop Jewish community of Havat Gilad (Gilad's Farm) on Friday morning. Havat Gilad residents say the Arabs and leftists were armed with rocks and large sticks but the security forces removed the intruders without violence breaking out between the two sides. Samarian Regional Council Chairman Gershon Mesika called the incident part of recurring attempts by leftist organizations to fan tensions in the area.
2.) Near Havat Gilad in Samaria, Palestinian squatters clashed with Jewish settlers who prevented them from running over Jewish fields with tractors. The Arabs hurled stones at the IDF, which arrived to protect them from the Jews.
The yishuv has been razed to the ground several times, once when the IDF violently expelled the residents on Shabbat. Even though it is on private property, it has been quite a controversial issue in the media, Israel government and the courts. Yet, it continues to grow.
Even though the farm is located on the Zar family's private property, it is still considered an un-authorized outpost and continues with no government aid. Yet, in spite of the many obstacles, Itai Zar has run the farm and has established a prefab building company on the site. The farming village has successfully increased its growth and it now has a yeshiva on the premises.
Moshe and Ya’el Zar, parents of the late Gilad: "Our presence here is meant to underscore our right to live in Eretz Yisrael, to let the people of Israel and the whole world know that all attempts to weaken and discourage us will fail. We pray that the Almighty will help us and strengthen the spirit of the people of Israel to overcome our enemies both within and without and by the merit of the Holy Torah we shall succeed."