Green Beyond the Line

Brighten up the lights for IDF soldiers in Shomron this Chanuka

2011-12-18T17:20:00.001+02:00

Every year residents of the Jewish communities in Shomron reach out to the IDF soldiers in the bases and at check points to bring them the joys of Chanuka. Motorcade processions equip with music and dancing yeshiva students dance with the soldiers. Chanuka donuts or given out and giant Chanuka menorah's at light in the bases and at main cross roads of the Shomron to display the miracles of the Macabbim.

We ask our friends of be part of this project by giving a Chanuka gift that will go directly to the IDF soldiers on duty in the Shomron.

Donations for this can be made online via this link Chanuka gift for IDF soldiers
or by check to:

Shuva Israel
PO Box : 27255
Austin TX 78755USA

Please let us know what amounts to expect and how the donation was send so
that we could track and identify your support and issue the receipt for you.

email to info AT yeshuv.org

Dec. 2, 2011 Shomron News Letter

2011-12-02T13:44:00.004+02:00

In this week's transmission I have included articles by our friends, Aharon Pulver of the Israel Independence Fund, Helen Freedman of AFSI, Ron Jager and news report about visit to Shomron by our dear friend Rep. Alan Clemmons of South Carolina. This page is full of links for additional reading and links for direct donations for needs and projects in the Shomron. The needs here are great, I hope that you will dig down into your pocket and do your best to support the people and development of the Jewish communities of the Shomron. This is Israel's heartland and the heart of the Jewish people. Please be part of this.

This week my trusted colleague has launched a special campaign to distribute 400 blankets to families in the Shomron who are in financial distress. To be sure that they and their children have a warm winter. In the next stage we will also be assisting them with their basic needs and help them manage their own source of income. If you would like to make a donation that will go directly to assist a needy family in the Shomron please hit this link

As you will read in articles and reports below, the Gal Aryeh hilltop in Itamar, its homes and synagogue were destroyed this week. Your help is needed to help the residents rebuild their homes and establish tempory dwellings. If you would like to be part of that please make a donation via this link

Chanuka is only a few weeks away. Again this year we plan on reaching out to the dedicated young men and women of the IDF serving in the Shamron region. We will be bringing them the joy of the holiday with donuts, candle lighting parties and music entertainment. We wish to reach 2500 solders and estimate the holiday package at $10 for each one. In addition to that we will be displaying the miracle of Chanuka by placing giant Chanka Menora on the major roads and junctions of the Shomron. At each one we will have Chanuka parties each evening

for the children of the Shomron together with the IDF soldiers. Sponsorship for each giant Chanuka Menora is set at $500. If you would like to sponsor

Chanuka events and Menoras please donate via this link

Each of the donation links are dedicated to the specific project detailed. On the paypal donation page there is room for a detailed message if you would like to dedicate the donation in honor of someone or any other related information.

Thank you again for your support,

Shabbat Shalom from the Shomron,

David Ha'ivri

OpEd: Colonists or Sons of the Land?

by David Ha'ivri Executive Director - Shomron Liaison Office

Universities and the “Twitterverse” are flooded with anti-Israel propaganda accusing Israel of being an apartheid state that discriminates against Arabs on a racial basis. These propagandists’ other mantra is that Jewish settlers are colonists settling land that rightfully belongs to others. The two main strategies of Israel’s enemies are: 1) keep the international community ignorant of the region’s true history (with a sprinkling of anti-Semitic conditioning), and 2) simply repeat the same lies again and again until they are unquestioningly accepted as truth. Read More...

Newly Built Synagogue Near Itamar Destroyed

by Helen Freedman Executive Director AFSI - Americans For A Safe Israel

Readers of Arutz Sheva, and followers of AFSI, know that the AFSI Chizuk mission was in Israel, Nov. 13-22, with one of our express purposes being the dedication of a Torah scroll at Itamar, which had been rescued from the Shoah. We began the festivities with great joy and celebration, greeting young and old who had come to the social hall in Itamar at the invitation of Mayor Moshe Goldsmith, his wife, Lea, and heads of the Shomron Regional Council. With the help of the scribe, we completed the restoration of the parchment. Then, with musicians in the lead, we rejoiced in dancing and marching with the Torah scroll to the newly completed synagogue in Givat Aryeh, built in response to the brutal butchery of five members of the Fogel family by Arab terrorists from the nearby town of Awarta. Read More...

Where are the Poet Laureates?

by Aharon Pulver Executive Director The Israel Independence Fund

The small satellite community of Givat Aryeh was founded immediately after the heinous murder of members of the Fogel family, HY”D.

Perched on a windswept hilltop within earshot of Itamar, the homes and the synagogue of Givat Aryeh were built exactly on that same goat herders path taken by the vile murderers when infiltrating into Itamar. Standing on Givat Aryeh one need only glance upwards, towards Itamar, to see the snake like continuation of that footpath…leading directly to the Fogel family home.

NEWLY BUILT SYNAGOGUE NEAR ITAMAR DESTROYED BY ORDER OF THE BIBI/BARAK DUONEWLY BUILT SYNAGOGUE NEAR ITAMAR DESTROYED BY ORDER OF THE BIBI/BARAK DUO By: Helen Freedman

2011-12-02T10:04:00.004+02:00

By: Helen Freedman

The synagogue, on the hilltop in Givat Aryeh, was a simple, one-room building. People crowded into it to dance with the Torah scroll. Young children sat on the shoulders of their fathers as they circled happily, rejoicing in this life-giving response to Arab terrorist hatred. Night had fallen by the time we left, but the memory of that afternoon and evening was a bright fire that could never be extinguished.

This morning, Dec. 1, I was alerted to the fact that during the night, at 3 A.M., the Israeli and Arab demolition experts arrived at the hilltop, attacking and demolishing the few little tents, expelling the residents after confiscating their telephones so they couldn't call for help, and destroying our modest, but beautiful synagogue. A wail of disbelief emerged from my heart. What purpose could be served by such senseless cruelty and self-abasement? Would this appease our Arab enemies? Our European enemies? Our UN enemies? Others? Will this bring us closer to peace? The answer is clearly, NO!! It empowers our enemies and strengthens the Zionist zeal.

Below is an open letter to PM Benjamin Netanyahu, drafted by Glenn Richter, from the members of the AFSI Chizuk mission who were present at the Torah dedication. Anyone who chooses to write a similar letter to him, with a cc to Ehud Barak, is encouraged to do so. The email addresses are: memshala@pmo.gov.il; bnetanyahu@knesset.gov.il, pm_eng2@it.pmo.gov.il. Defense Minister Ehud Barak's email is: pniot@mod.gov.il.

Dear PM Netanyahu:

You weren't there on the late afternoon of Tuesday, November 15th when 25 members of Americans for a Safe Israel/AFSI, who had assembled from all over the U.S., joined the community of Itamar in dedicating a Sefer Torah in memories of Sam and Rita Ross, and of Ruth, Udi, Elad, Hadas, Yoav of Itamar, brutally butchered by Arab terrorists a few months ago. However, you were there in the Fogels' home at the time of the shiva, vowing to their surviving 12 year-old daughter that you would fight terror. How your recent actions have betrayed that promise!!

You weren't with us when this special Torah,which survived the Shoah as did Sam and Rita, and was lovingly carried to Israel by their son Jack, a member of our Americans for a Safe Israel mission, was joyously danced down the hill from Itamar under a raised tallit and up the hill to a just-built synagogue in the new neighborhood of Gal Givat Aryeh. Gal Givat Aryeh was the classic Zionist response to Arab terror -- where they destroy, we build.

You weren't with us when the Torah was kissed and placed with great care in the holy Ark of the synagogue, to accompany two other Torah scrolls. A photo taken shows that moment. Light is beaming out from the synagogue onto the darkened Gal Givat Aryeh hilltop and to the surrounding Jewish communities and hostile Arab villages.

But somehow you managed -- through either your direct command or assent -- to be there exactly two weeks later, when your Israeli police and Civil Administration workers brutally bulldozed into wreckage the new synagogue and two other buildings on Gal Aryeh. You left two families and five singles homeless, and confiscated the Torah scrolls. You used Arab workers, possibly from the same village of Awarta which spawned the murderers of the Fogels, to gleefully destroy the synagogue and small tents, erected specifically to memorialize the Arab butchery.

In some way you might have thought, Mr. Netanyahu, that this unconscionable act will encourage the Palestinian Authority towards peace. The opposite: this act of cowardice completes the work of the Fogels' murderers and only incites more terror.

Mr. Netanyahu: hang your head in shame. And tomorrow, grow a spine; rebuild Gal Aryeh, remove the threat of demolition from other Shomron communities that you are menacing, and allow the Jewish communities of the Shomrom to thrive, as you had promised to do when elected.

Mournfully,

Helen Freedman, Executive Director, Americans for a Safe Israel/AFSI

Dorothy and Ken Brooks, Hannah Cohen, Nancy Duong, Dr. Paul and Lorrie Fein, Jan Fenster, Carol Flatto, Henry Gerber, Henry Jentes, Cheryl Jacobs Lewin, Melanie Marmer, Ira Nosenchuck, Teddy Pollak, Glenn Richter, Gila Rollhaus, Phil Rosenblatt, Jack Ross, Irvin Schmutter, Ann Stacy

But where are the poet laureates of a proud people? by Aharon Pulver

2011-12-02T09:57:00.000+02:00

Where are the Poet Laureates?

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/10932#.TtiEpkQSSc8

by Aharon Pulver

Executive Director

The Israel Independence Fund

www.fundisrael.org

Photos courtesy of Oshri David, the Shomron Liaison Office

The small satellite community of Givat Aryeh was founded immediately after the heinous murder of members of the Fogel family, HY”D.

While built without formal building permits, Givat Aryeh’s young residents are not extremists…as some minions would have us believe. They do not sow seeds of dissent and sedition, they do not condone lawlessness nor do they promulgate insurrection. It is not they who sought to destroy, to pillage and to murder, to wipe a peaceful neighbors existence away forever. They do not shriek for vengeance and blood, nor do they ululate endlessly in a ritual of mourning that bears only the rotten fruit of perpetual hate. They do not steal into Arab villages in the darkness of night to sow death and destruction in demoniacal fury that reflects Dante’s hell.

Instead…Itamar’s young citizens, in an act of dedication and heroism that should be regaled by the poet laureates of a proud and grateful people, placed themselves in harm’s way…declaring clearly and without confusion, and with absolute faith, their simple and pure dedication to shielding Itamar’s residents with their only strategic asset…themselves.

They built a strategically placed community dedicated to protecting and defending, and lo…what they have built with their own hands has been callously and arrogantly destroyed! And by whom?

Our government. Yes…our government.

In a better world, a saner world, our government, immediately after the murders in Itamar, would have declared those areas surrounding the community and vital to its defense, areas like Givat Aryeh, to be part and parcel of Itamar and open to Jewish building.

In a better, saner world, our government would not subject some citizens to draconian regulations allowing homes and synagogues to be destroyed, in the middle of the night, without right to appeal or legal process, while turning a blind eye to tens of thousands of illegal homes and mosques built throughout the country by other citizens, afforded immediate unquestionable immunity by their ethnic status.

In a saner, less hallucinogenic Israel our national land resources, in Yehudah, in the Shomron, in the Galil and the Negev alike, would be managed to insure Israel’s strategic depth and the future of the Jewish state, and not squandered in a vain attempt to buy love from an implacable enemy who views our continual genuflection and pandering with outright loathing and contempt.

In a world gone mad, only 70 years ago, Jewish partisans in the forests of Eastern Europe, sang their defiant Yiddish anthem “MIR ZEINEN DO”…”WE Are Here!” in an eternal exclamation of their willingness to dedicate their only strategic asset, their very selves in every meaning of the word, to provide that legacy of unimaginable bravery we all hold dear today.

The same bravery and tenacity, the same ingenuity and self-sacrifice, the identical sanctification of life, as opposed to our oppressors unending sanctification of blood lust and murder, the very same placement of ones very self on the proverbial line…all that is the very essence of Givat Aryeh.

“MIR ZEINEN DO”… fortunes and futures, loved ones and life itself… all of it on the line. All of it…for us.

The young men and women of Givat Aryeh are no different from our People’s heroes whose Yiddish chorus resonated defiantly in the forests of Europe. Nor are they different from the young Jews who defended Tel Hai and those who trudged up the mountains of the Western Galilee and founded Hanita!

The heroes of the past and those of the present give birth to those of the future. So it has always been. So it is now. We are blessed.

Deputy Minister of Culture of Ukraine, Kokhan Tymofii, toured the Shomron as the guest of the head of the Shomron Council

2011-11-25T12:14:00.003+02:00

"This is my fifth visit to Israel, but I didn't have any idea that there are such idealists in this country. I wish you only good for your community. Ukraine will be a firm partner for Israel" – deputy Minister of Culture.

Has the taboo of international recognition of the settlement enterprise in Judea and Samaria been broken?
The Deputy Minister of Culture of Ukraine, Kokhan Tymofii, toured the Shomron as the guest of the head of the Shomron Council, Gershon Mesika, and of the Minister of Information and Diaspora., Yuli Edelstein.

This was a groundbreaking tour by a member of parliament of an important European state in the Jewish communities of the Shomron. The minister was escorted by a delegation of CEOs of government offices in Ukraine for a comprehensive tour of the settlements, industry and agriculture as well as in the wineries in the Shomron, accompanied by staff of the Shomron International Liaison Office.

The honored guest came to the Shomron through the mediation of the Minister of Information and Diaspora, Yuli Edelstein, and was joined by the CEO of that Ministry, Ronen Palot.

During the visit, the guests toured the Trans-Samaria Highway where they were exposed to the physical narrowness of the State of Israel, and the industrial area of Barkan. They observed the Tomb of Joseph and Nablus itself in "Mitzpeh Yosef" – an observation point overlooking Nablus on Mount Gerizim, and took part in an official reception in the community of Har Bracha with the rabbi of the community and the head of the Yeshiva, Rabbi Eliezer Melamed.

Rabbi Melamed blessed the guests and told them about the Jewish settlement in the Shomron:

"The flowering communities that we can see today in the Shomron are the realization of the prophecy of Ezekiel the prophet about the dry bones, which symbolized the Jewish People after the destruction of the Temple and the Exile from our Land, which are brought back to life."

The delegation continued on to a visit in the vineyards of Har Bracha where they met non-Jewish volunteers from America who are working there in the fields of the Shomron.

At the peak of the visit, when the Deputy Minister for Culture, Tymofii Kokhan and the head of the Shomron Council Gershon Mesika arrived at the settlement of Nofei Nechemia, the Deputy Minister and the CEOs accompanying him were taken by surprise to meet the founders of the community who had come on Aliya from the former Soviet Union, including from Ukraine, and conducted a conversation with them.

After that, the Congress members had lunch and were given a comprehensive survey by Gershon Mesika.

Gershon Mesika reviewed the settlement enterprise in Judea and Samaria, went into detail about the historical rights of the Jewish People, and took his guests on a virtual tour of the width of the State, from the sea to the river, and discussed the importance of the settlements for the existence of the State:

"From here we can see what the meaning of the Land of Israel is for the Jewish People. Those who are pushing for the establishment of a Palestinian State must know that the inevitable result will be excising the heart of the Land and the expulsion of more than 300,000 Jews from their homes. If we leave here, terror groups will take our place."

In the summing up session, the Deputy Minister of Culture, said:

"We love your country and respect your people. Our countries have a lot in common. We laugh and cry in the same way in Ukrainian and Hebrew. We were all born of Adam and Eve, we must preserve our friendship, appreciate peace, honour our parents and educate our children so that their skies will always be peaceful, and they will be able to grow up respecting their leaders and the religion of their neighbors, friends and brothers."

The esteemed guest complimented the culture in the Shomron in general and the culture of wine particularly and wished every good for the communities:

""This is my fifth visit to Israel, but I didn't have any idea that there are such idealists in this country. I have been deeply impressed by the culture here, and especially by the culture of agriculture and wine in the Shomron. I wish you health and wish you only good for your community. Ukraine will be a firm partner for Israel."

After the tour, the Minister for Information and Diaspora, Yuli Edelstein, talked about the importance of these tours for external factors in the Shomron:

"These unique tours, that we are making a top priority to carry out, have an amazing effect on those taking part. In most cases people radically change their opinions about the reality in Judea and Samaria and about the people living there, and understand much better the challenges that our country is facing. There is nothing like a tour of the Shomron in order to understand that the stigmas and prejudices were wrong."

The special tour of the Shomron, accompanied by David HaIvri, the head of the Shomron International Liaison Office of the Shomron Council and Yossi Dagan, the head of the Strategic Unit of the Shomron Council, finished off the day with wine tasting in the "Tura" Winery of the Rechelim community.

Five U.S. Congressmen Venture into Uncharted Territory

2011-11-13T19:59:00.000+02:00

Click here for photo album. Photo credits to Heather Meyers

SAMARIA, ISRAEL – On November 9^th five Congressmen ventured into otherwise uncharted territory by traditional diplomatic delegations to Israel. A strong affinity to Israel and genuine frustration with the repetitive and fatal failures of peace plans and processes drove these American leaders to take a fresh look and Israel's heartland.

The historic visit began with a bus tour led by Mayor Ron Nachman along the Trans-Samaria highway, where the delegates learned about Israel's narrow waste-line, security needs and strategic provisions. At the Ariel and Barkan Industrial Parks Mayor Nachman discussed co-existence, the 4,000 Arabs employed at the factories and the indiscriminate boycotts imposed by the Palestinian Authority and European Union on products from the factories. Mayor Nachman also showed the group the layout of the Ariel Bloc of communities, and the short distance from the Tel Aviv Coastal Plain.

The Congressmen learned about Judeo-Christian teamwork and at Israel's primary outdoor training facility, the Ariel National Leadership Development Center. From there the group proceeded to the Ariel Regional Center for the Performing Arts, where they enjoyed a private performance by Ariel's young singers and internationally renowned dancers.

Before travelling north, the visit to Ariel culminated with the inaugural Samaria Summit luncheon, where municipal leaders, industrialists, business-people and professional athletes from across Samaria and the Jordan Valley gathered to discuss issues of relevance. Lior Shachory, CEO of the Ariel based Incentive Technology Incubator presented some of the R&D at the award winning center, whereas Eldad Halachmi, VP at Ariel University Center, made reference to U.S. State Department boycotts of R&D funding for academic research due to Ariel's location beyond the green line. The Samaria Summit was the first time that a Congressional delegation engaged face to face with the geo-political realities in one of the most media-covered regions in the world.

Rep. Randy Forbes (R -VA-4th) addressed the Summit by stating his unwavering support for Israel's peace and security. Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO-5th) discussed Israel's inherent value and the commitment of the Congressional Republican Israel Caucus and the Israel Allies Caucus which he co-chairs. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX-1st), who is known for his instrumental role in arranging for Prime Minister to deliver his acclaimed speech to both houses of Congress in May, 2011, explained how Israel cannot sacrifice its own security by relinquishing land to those who are committed to its destruction. They were joined by Congressman John Fleming (R-LA-4th) and Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH-4th), who shared the sentiments of their colleagues.

The travels through Samaria included a stop at Joseph's Tomb Overlook, where David Ha'Ivri of the Samaria Regional Council Liaison Office explained the discrepancies between popular rhetoric concerning the status of Arabs living in Nablus with the unfortunate circumstances presented by the Palestinian Authority which prevents refugees under their jurisdiction from improving their quality of life.

Following an examination of the difficulties that Jews are faced with in attempt to worship at their Holy sites, Ha'Ivri introduced the delegates to Rabbi Eliezer Melamed. The congressmen were pleasantly surprised to discover that Rabbi Melamed had recently publicized an article which encourages Israelis to be welcoming rather than suspicious of Christians who choose to support Israel. The group then proceeded to the vineyards in the community of Har Bracha, where they met with the Director of the Samaria Regional Council Gershon Mesika. Tommy Waller and the Christian volunteers from across the US who accompany him in the fields of Samaria greeted the group with some of their original music.

Following a visit to the site of the Tabernacle in Shilo, the delegation had dinner at the Psagot Winery. Yesha Council CEO Naftali Bennet delivered concluding remarks following the previous day's visit to Gush Etzion and their short stay in Samaria. He challenged the MOC's both to change the anti-Israel rhetoric prevalent in the media by describing the realities that they encountered and to help their colleagues and constituents understand that the Iranian nuclear program is not merely a threat to Israel but a threat to the free world.

The 2011 Congressional Initiative was arranged by Heather Johnston, who identified the need for America's leading Congressmen to become familiar with Judea and Samaria and develop ties with Members of Knesset. Each of the delegates was thoroughly appreciative of this groundbreaking educational experience.

Caught "red-handed" viewing the settlement's homes and defense apparatus through binoculars

2011-10-18T13:04:00.001+02:00

Arab brought by the Civil Administration into Itamar's territory to harvest olives caught "red-handed" viewing the settlement's homes and defense apparatus through binoculars. Director of Coordination and Liaison insists on not arresting him.

(in the photo: The Arab after being caught with binoculars. Credit: Courtesy of Samaria Settlers Council)

"Red-handed": Half a year after the shocking and brutal murder by Amjad and Hakim Awad, of Awarta, of five members of the Fogel family in the settlement of Itamar, today (Monday) an Arab, resident of the village of Beit Furik who was brought into Itamar's territory to harvest olives, was caught "red-handed" as he was viewing the settlement's homes and defense setup with binoculars.
The Arab was spotted by security officials of the settlement and military forces, but despite being captured, an officer of the Director of Coordination and Liaison office who was on location and oversaw the olive harvest, insisted on freeing him, claiming that the Arabs were not informed in advance of the regulations regarding what is permissible to bring in to the settlement and what is not...

This was in spite of the fact that during the past year, the murderer Hakim Awad entered within the settlement's borders for the olive harvest and gathered intelligence information for the massacre, when he again penetrated the settlement's territory with his brother Amjad on the basis of previous knowledge and familiarity with the settlement that he had gathered during the olive harvest.

It will be recalled that a week ago, the Civil Administration brought in family members of the murderers who carried out the slaughter in Itamar - the Awad clan - for the olive harvest, within the border fences of Itamar, a move that caused an uproar in the settlement and a demonstration by the residents headed by Tamar Fogel, which forced the Civil Administration to remove the murderers' clan from within the settlement's territory.

The head of the Samaria Regional Council reacted harshly to the way the olive harvest was conducted:

"This is irresponsibility of the first order and a scandal that cries out to the heavens. Exactly a year ago I warned the commanders in the military echelons and the Civil Administration that terrorists are liable to use the olive harvest to gather intelligence before attacks. Despite all the warnings, hundreds of Arabs from the village of Awarta freely entered Itamar for the olive harvest, among them the murderer Hakim Awad, who gathered intelligence before the slaughter.

"I would expect that at least for this year this matter will be dealt with logically."

Residents of the Shomron community of Itamar, were assaulted by Arab olive harvesters

2011-10-09T13:37:00.000+02:00

A flurry of emotions in Itamar:

Six months after the horrifying massacre committed by Amjad and Hackim Awed from the village Awarata, who brutally murdered five members of the Fogel family in Itamar, members of the murderer's family – the Awed clan- approached Itamar this morning (Sunday) for the seasonal olive harvest.

During last year's olive harvest, the murderer Hackim Awed had entered Itamar and collected information to prepare for his deadly attack, as a result was later able to enter Itamar for the second time, together with his brother Amjad, according to intel he acquired during the harvest.

Gershon Mesika, Head of the Shomron Regional Council contacted the commanding ranks of the IDF and Knesset Members in order to stop the murderess clan's harvest:
"It is an outrage that cries out to Heaven. A year ago, exactly, I warned the army commands and the Civil Administration, that terrorists can use the olive harvest as an opportunity to collect intelligence before attacking. In spite of all my warnings, hundreds of Arabs from the village Awaratha were allowed into Itamar to harvest the olives. Among them was the murderer Hackim Awed, who then collected information before the massacre. I would expect that this year there would be some logical consideration.

Chairman of the Shomron Residence Committee, Benny Katzover responded severely to the actions of the Civil Administration:
"There is no limit to the Civil Administration's lack of responsibility and of sensitivity. We thought that even the callous unilateral would have a limit. The Civil Admin' has surrendered, yet again, to the radical left wing and has endangered the life of Jews.

Brigadier-General (reserve) Rabbi Avichai Rozenki, head of Itamar Yeshiva, who was the Chief Military Rabbi has responded in astonishment:
"only six months after the murder, while our blood is still boiling and the residents are still caring for their bleeding wounds, allowing anyone from the Awerata vilage, where the murderers of the Fogel family and the Shvo Family came from – is outrages and negligent!"

At this time the women of Itamar are protesting in the Itamar harvest areas. – Among the protesters is Tamar Fogel, orphan of the murdered family.

Shomron - Jewish Holiday Emergency Appeal

2011-09-28T17:09:00.003+03:00

Wishing you and your family a very sepcial and joyous New Year with many blessings from Israel. I am resending this message from a few days ago just to be sure that you saw it and thank you for all of your support for the people of Israel and the communities of the Shomron.

While the international community is debating the future of Israel's heartland, Judea and Samaria, and those that hate Israel are plotting to take claim to our God given land. we, the communities of the Shomron (Hills of Ezekiel 36) are gearing up for Rosh Hashana and the period of Jewish holidays over the next three weeks.

Last night hundered of leaders of the Shomron communities gathered at "Yakir" to lift a glass of blessings for the Jewish New Year. Shomron region director Gershon Mesika was joined by Rabbi Elyakim Levanon and Minister of Education Gidon Sar. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/148211

Samaria Regional Council Governor, Gershon Mesika, informed the group of leaders of the great progress in the Shomron over this past year. We have become the fastest growing region in the country. The Jewish population in the Shomron is growing at the rate of 10% per year. Building of new classrooms and kindergartens are being constructed in all of our towns. We have held over 300 informational tours for elected world wide and Israel officials and media personalities.

Our own efforts in the international arena have showed amazing results - one example of which was Nigeria siding with Israel at the UN for the first time.http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/148200

With all of these developments and much more, we can not forget that with the Jewish Holidays upon us, there are families in the Shomron who are lacking the means to feed their families. We know that the strength and stability of the families of the Shomron are the backbone of our future here in Biblical Samaria. Those families with 8, 9 and 10 children are bringing up the next generation that will continue to
inherit and possess this prophetic land for the God and people of Israel.

The Shomron Regional Council has established a network for distributing fo packages to needy families for the holidays and throughout the year. The needy families are identified by the municipal social services department and the help is delivered in a discredit way so as not to embarrass the recipient families. The entire operation costs are covered by the Shomron Regional Council who's employees manage the campaign ether during their work load or after hours as volunteers and all office work and expenses are covered by the municipality.

For the upcoming holidays we will be assisting 600 needy families with food packages and grants of an average $200 - $300 per family.

I would like to ask your help with a donation that will go directly towards the needs of these families in the Shomron for the holidays.

Donations are accepted through Shuva Israel which is an American 501c3 tax deductible organization.

You can donate online via this link:

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=BEQ6J35KY7YYE

American donors can also choose to send a check to:

Shuva Israel
PO Box : 27255
Austin TX 78755
USA

Please let me know if you sen a check so I can look out for it and contact me if you would like to send a Shekel donation or make a bank transfer.

Thank you so much for your help.

Best wishes to you and your family for a blessed Jewish New Year,

Hinanit Opens New Session of Hebrew Ulpan for Russian Immigrants

2011-09-12T20:18:00.003+03:00

Press Release 11 September 2011

Hinanit Opens New Session of Hebrew Ulpan for Russian Immigrants

This was a very special day for the community of Hinanit which literally means ‘attractive’ or ‘charming’. Hinanit a quiet, pleasant Israeli settlement located in the northern Shomron just across the Green Line border about a 30 minute drive from Hadera. It is near the settlements of Sheked and Tal Manashe. This community of 100 families and growing has a well recognized program for not only helping Russian Jews to immigrate to Israel, but also provides housing and an Ulpan for their learning Hebrew. Tonight the doors opened for the start of a new year of Hebrew learning. Hanan Niv who is the head of the council of the settlement and the director of the unique immigration and ulpan program welcomed the students in Russian and introduced them to their teachers for these evening sessions. He said, “This project over the years has helped some 500 Russian Jews to immigrate to Israel and complete their Hebrew learning. 25 new families that have recently arrived in Israel filled the classroom. We are in the process of obtaining 10 more caravans so that in the future they can increase the intake of immigrants. We need more funding in order to continue the educational touring of Israel as part of the absorption for these new immigrants which was done in the past.”

The immigrants seemed happy and motivated to get started with their Hebrew. Mexim who is one of the new students from Ukraine arrived in Hinanit two months ago with his wife and their two year old son, Deniz. His wife is expecting their second child. They felt that it was the right time for them to leave their country and immigrate to Israel because of their being Jewish and so that their children can be educated in Hebrew. They have a high regard for Israel. He already found employment as a welder close by in the Industrial area of the settlement. He and his wife are eager to learn Hebrew.

Hanan enjoys what he is doing and travels to Russian once or twice a year to finalize who is ready to immigrate and be part of the program and then helps them with all the paperwork. He is so pleased to see them in the classroom learning Hebrew.

Frank Mecklenburg, freelance reporter.

Hinnanit Report Northern Shomron

2011-09-12T20:15:00.000+03:00

Founded 1981

Currently 100 families and 800 people.

Needs for the Russian Ulpan project.

Because the Jewish Agency has lowered the amount of financial support, there are insufficient funds for conducting educational bus tours to various sights and places in Israel for the new immigrants. Estimated cost is 400,000.00 NIS.
The children’s playground park was dismantled and removed because it declared unsafe so there is a need to replace what was there for the immigrants’ children.
10 more caravans have been donated for additional housing for immigrants who will come for their absorption and Hebrew Ulpan. But if they had the funding, they would add even more caravans.

Current expansion

Currently building 16 new homes.
Planning on building an additional 37 homes that have already been paid for.
Dedication of their new activity center and 30 years as a community October 16. Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, will be the special guest who will cut the ribbon.

CNN on tours

2011-07-08T14:55:00.002+03:00

Settlers cultivate West Bank tourism

2011-06-26T14:09:00.001+03:00

Source Reuters

Jewish settlers look to strengthen their communities in the Israeli-occupied West Bank by opening their vineyards and organic farms to foreign tourists, but the tours have been criticised with many saying its a way for the settlers to tighten their grip on the land.

Kendumim, Israel (NTN24) - Jewish settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank have opened their settlements' gates to foreign tourists and Israeli visitors, hoping it will strengthen their communities, built on land Palestinians seek for a state.

A one-day tour, booked through a regional settler council, costs 50 U.S dollars. An additional 80 dollars secures an armoured vehicle that bullets can't penetrate.
Palestinians, or "local Arabs", in the words of settlers who spoke to one group of visitors, are not on the itinerary.

Wine-tasting in the small settlement of Rechelim was one of the tour highlights this week for a group of tourists from Belgium, France, the United States and the Indian Ocean island of Reunion. They enjoyed award-winning Cabernets and Merlots from the local Tura winery.
Next came a visit to Havat Gilad, a settlement-outpost built without Israeli government authorisation.

"We have love to the country," Ilana Shimon, who lives in Havat Gilad with 30 other families, told the curious tourists, who kept asking her questions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"Once people come here and touch the people, touch the magic and see the place, all the delegitimisation and demonisation that we suffer from disappears. And this is the best thing - to come and see. We are simple, good people, we love the land. What really unites us here is the deep connection to the land, to the country, to our forefathers," said Shimon.

About 300,000 Jewish settlers live in the West Bank, occupied by Israel in a 1967 war and home to 2.5 million Palestinians. The World Court has ruled the settlements illegal.
Though violence has mostly subsided since a 2000-2005 Palestinian uprising, clashes between settlers and Palestinians are not uncommon.

The placid vista presented to the tourists include organic cheese farms and flourishing vineyards that produce boutique wines.

Palestinians see a far different view: settlements they fear will deny them a viable state and an Israeli barrier cutting through the West Bank -- a project they condemn as a land grab and which Israel defends as a security necessity.
One of the tour stops is Itamar settlement, where a couple and three of their children, one a three-month-old baby, were killed in March.

Israel has charged two Palestinians with their murder.
The drive through Itamar was followed by lunch at Givot Olam, an adjacent outpost.
Following a rustic meal of organic goat's cheese, yogurt and eggs -- all farmed on the outpost -- Jacqueline Bergman from the Netherlands and John Lansford from the U.S gave their impressions of their hosts.

"It is very difficult to communicate what you see because media tell other stories. So I will, I have made pictures and I hope through the pictures and my story and the experience I have that people will understand the real situation of this land," Bergman said.

"We're here to support the settlers, the ones that often the world thinks they're the bad guys but to us we think they're the heroes, the heroes of the whole world, the heroes of Israel. And we want to be here to support and show them our love and to see how they live and also be with them," Lansford added.

But Yariv Oppenhiemer of the "peace now" anti-settlement group told Reuters Television the West Bank tourism project was misleading.

"I can imagine that the settler leaders are not taking the tourists to see the real West Bank problem and they are not speaking about the problematic situation in which Israel controls the West Bank. but doesn't give the settlers and the Palestinians the same rights.

So you can come and see nature, you can come and see the Jewish communities, you can see the settlements but eventually, just to look at the tourist sites and not to look deeper to see exactly what is the West Bank and what isa the meaning of the occupation - this is actually misleading the people that are coming there," Oppenheimer said.

According to the tourism department of the settlers' Samaria regional council, its efforts have paid off with the number of tourists rising to almost 100,000 in 2010 from 45,000 in 2008.

Orphaned Survivor of Fogel Terror Attack Inspires French Jews

2011-06-26T14:04:00.001+03:00

Source Israel National News

Orphaned Survivor of Fogel Terror Attack Inspires French Jews
Sivan 24, 5771, 26 June 11 09:00by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
(Israelnationalnews.com) Twelve-year-old Tamar Fogel, the oldest survivor of the terrorist attack on the Fogel family this year, recently joined her Bnei Akiva chapter on a visit to French and Belgium to help strengthen the local Jewish communities.

It was Bnei Akiva that saved Tamar from death at her home community of Itamar, in northern Samaria. She was attending a Bnei Akiva meeting on the tragic Friday night in March while two Palestinian Authority terrorists brutally slaughtered her parents and three of five brothers and sisters in a barbaric attack that shocked Israel and Jews around the world.

She discovered the gruesome scene of the family’s dead bodies when she returned from Bnei Akiva, and she undoubtedly would have been murdered by the terrorists had she been at home.

The terrorists, both in their late teens and from a neighboring Arab village, have been arrested. They said that had they known there were two more sleeping chlldren in the house, they would have murdered them as well.

The visit to Europe was the first time Tamar and her friends from the Itamar chapter of the national religious group had been outside of Israel. They were accompanied by Rabbi Yehuda Ben Yishai, Tamar’s maternal grandfather.

“Many members of the Jewish delegation in France thought they would strengthen the youth of Itamar during their visit, but the opposite was true,” said Yigal Klein, director of counselors for Bnei Akiva.

“The Itamar delegation demonstrated faith and spiritual strength that surprised many of the adults and youth whom they met” in France and Belgium,” he added. “It was amazing to see how the community welcomed Rav Ben Yishai with a warm embrace, sorrow and pain. But as soon as Rabbi Ben Yishai began to speak, you could see how he strengthened the community.”

Running on a tight schedule, the youth from Itamar were interviewed on French radio and visited the Jewish communities of Marseilles and Paris, including several Jewish schools.

The French and Israeli groups overcame the language barrier by using body and sign language as well as songs known to many Jews, such as Am Yisrael Chai.

The French youth, who saw news of the terrorist attack in Itamar on local television, were hesitant to speak at first, but the ice was quickly broken as the Itamar group showed “it did not visit as if it were distant from them but rather from a place of love and with a loving embrace” said Pinchas Michaeli, the counselor of the Bnei Akiva group in Itamar.

Each member of the Itamar group told a personal story, and a film, prepared in Israel, showed the French and Belgian Jews what life is like in the community, both before and after the terrorist attack.

Communities in Samaria are working on twinning with Bnei Akiva chapters abroad, according to Shomron (Samaria) Liaison director David Ha'Ivri

Delegation of Knesset members to Joseph's Tomb

2011-06-14T14:42:00.002+03:00

This morning 15 MKs from 5 different political parties came together in an historic visit to Joseph’s Tomb in Shechem. This cross-party visit was arranged by Gershon Mesika, the Governor of the Shomron Region and a long-time advocate of Jewish rights of worship at holy sites across Judea and Samaria, and in coordination with Israeli and PA security forces. This momentous occasion – the first such visit during daytime hours in many years – has only been made possible through Mr. Mesika’s tireless efforts to secure the right of worship for Jews at Joseph’s Tomb since taking office 3 years ago.
Yaakov David Ha'ivri - Director of the Shomron Liaison Office said: "Today’s visit is made all the more significant in that it comes merely a month and a half after the murder of Yoseph Livnat, a religious Jew who was killed by Palestinian Authority forces whilst making his way to the Tomb, unarmed, with the intent to peacefully worship at the site. Today’s event sends a clear message that the Jewish people clings fiercely to its Holy Sites and will continue to do so in spite of the violent and often murderous attempts of our enemies to break the bond between the people of Israel and their land."

Condolences for Fogels from Around the World

2011-04-11T08:09:00.000+03:00

Nissan 7, 5771, 11 April 11 01:16

by Maayana Miskin

(Israelnationalnews.com) Jews around the world are marking 30 days since the murder of five members of the Fogel family in Itamar on Sunday. A new Torah study hall was dedicated in Itamar in memory of Rabbi Udi Fogel, and thousands of people are expected to take part in ceremonies in the United States as well.

In addition to Jewish support, the mourning Fogel family has received condolences from Members of Parliament in Europe, and even from an Arab activist in Jordan.

Flemish Members of Parliament Filip Dewinter, Frank Creyelman and Tanguy Veys of Vlaams Belang, a right-wing Belgian political party, sent their “sincere condolences” to relatives of the Fogel family on Sunday. “This crime affects us deeply,” they said.

“It is clear that the Islamic hatred and terrorism spares nobody and knows no mercy,” they continued.
“However, one must never bend for this terror, whether it appears here in Europe or in distant Israel. Knowing that throughout the world people struggle every day against the threats of Islam, one must draw the strength to persevere and to never give up.”

Another European politician, Heinz-Christian Strache, Chairman of Austria's Freedom Party, had previously sent condolences as well. Strache avoided political sentiment, saying, “It is very difficult for me to find the right words of condolence in the face of this crime... I am with you and the settler families in this difficult time.”

Perhaps the most unexpected show of support came from a Jordanian man identifying himself as “a Palestinian, writer, and political activist.” The man, Mudar Zahran, wrote to Udi Fogel's father, Chaim Fogel, saying, “I am writing to you today to express my sincere apologies and condolences for the terrible crime that claimed the lives of your loved ones.

“No word of apologies or condolences could ever match the magnitude of the heinous crime committed; nonetheless I wish to tell you that there are Palestinians who would never deny you your right to live in peace on your own land. I also would love to assure you that my group and I, all Palestinian intellectuals, do strongly and passionately support your right to live and rule over your own soil undisturbed and un-terrorized.”

Zahran later said, “While no words can make up for your pain and suffering, one thing you should take in pride, is the fact that your loved ones have been killed because they loved their land and embodied their faith... We support you unconditionally.”

DELEGATION OF LAND OF ISRAEL FAITHFUL – TO EUROPE April 2011

2011-04-10T21:26:00.000+03:00

In recent months, a network of communications has been woven between right-wing parties in Europe and “Land of Israel Faithful”, the “The Land of Israel is Ours” movement and the Shomron liaison Office. It began with the visit of a parliamentary delegation of Representatives who visited the Shomron and the Gush Katif Museum during Hanuka, the outcome of initiatives by Haim Milstein, a prominent member of the Berlin Jewish community.

The party representatives are convinced that the persistent struggle against Islam, which is taking over Europe, passes by way of the Land of Israel and that support for Jewish sovereignty in Judea, Samaria, Gaza and Jerusalem is a condition for the success of the struggle against Islam. In light of this recognition, a delegation consisting of Prof. Hillel Weiss of “Land of Israel Faithful”; David Ha'ivri, the Shomron Liaison Office; and Rabbi Shalom Dov Wolpe, the Chairman of “The Land of Israel is Ours” was invited to visit. The trip was arranged by invitation of Mr. Philip Dewinter, the head of the “ Vlaams Belang” of Belgium, which represents 10% of all Belgian voters and 34% of Antwerp voters.

One of the party’s main activists, Mr. Patrik Brinkman, handled payment for the airfare, housing and glatt kosher meals, and even drove the guests in his own car from city to city.

The delegation arrived on Sunday April 3 in Berlin, where they visited the Chabad House’s emissary, Rabbi Teichtel, and the Holocaust Museum in the city. From there they traveled about 600 km. to the city of Gelsenkirchen, and on Monday they spoke in English in the ancient palace there before approx. 200 residents of the area, among them members of the municipality and Parliament. All of the speeches dealt with the terrible danger that the rise of a Palestinian state would constitute and the absolute necessity of settling all of Judea and Samaria with Jews. At the same time the guests were there, the liberal mayor of the town held a demonstration of hundreds of participants across from the palace, against the “racist” guests (the local newspaper also carried a protest against the visit, saying that it’s a lie that there is any such area called Judea and Samaria, that it’s really just the “West Bank” of Palestine).

On Tuesday April 5 (Rosh Chodesh Nisan), they arrived in Cologne’s old city, visited Chabad House with the emissary Rabbi Shtrecks, and an official reception at the municipal building was arranged for them, where they spoke of the indivisibility of the Land. All this was in spite of the fact that the leftist mayor of Cologne declared the delegation “unwanted guests”. The guests also visited the archaeological excavations where ancient homes of Jews and an ancient mikve were unearthed.

The delegation members pointed out to their hosts that Jews have lived in Cologne since the year 325 C.E., i.e., before the existence of Germany as it is known today, and that the entire community was slaughtered in 1096 during the first Crusade, the same time period that the Cologne excavations so prominently point out. Prof. Weiss showed them a “lamentation” written in the same year by Rabbi Yoel of Cologne, whose family and community were murdered. This was in addition to the expulsion of the Jews from Cologne in the 15^th century and their extermination during the Holocaust.

On Wednesday they arrived in Brussels, Belgium, where they spoke to the Flemish parliament before tens of MPs (Belgium, Flemish and Federal) as well as to members of the Senate, among them the head of the country’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

Prof. Hillel Weiss spoke, among other things, of the significance of the settlements in Judea and Samaria, the cradle of the Jewish nation, about the ownership of Jews throughout the generations of these territories we inherited from our forefathers, and about our standing in international law and the nations’ decision at the “San Remo” conference (in 1922) that included the “West Bank” as part of the Land of Israel that belongs to Jews. He determined that giving Islam a hold over Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem would give dreadful encouragement to the takeover of Europe by Muslims, and called on the listeners to put forth their best efforts to do everything possible to prevent the rise of a Palestinian state.

David Ha'ivri lectured extensively on the history of settlement in Judea and Samaria, on the wonderful accomplishments of the residents and on the Shomron’s value from a security and historical standpoint. His fluent English, as well as the way he analyzed the situation, captured the hearts of the MKs. In addition, he was equipped with a great video about the Shomron.

Rabbi Wolpe related the murderous nature of Arabs who attacked his family over several generations: how his grandfather, an elder of Hebron, was murdered in 1897, how many family members were murdered in the riots of 1929, and his in-laws in 1952, all of this long before the beginning of the problem called “the territories”. He asked the audience whether they were willing to establish a Moslem state in Brussels in order to bring peace between them and the Arabs in Europe, and explained that the Israeli government cannot give parts of our holy Land to the enemy, also for the simple reason that they don’t belong to it (the government), but to the Jewish people throughout all of their generations.

The subject of the position of “Land of Israel Faithful” also came up, as they are about to set up a “Jewish Authority” in Judea and Samaria, to ward off the evil. After the speeches, there was a series of questions and answers in a special atmosphere of cooperation and mutual understanding.

The senior members of the party and MKs hosted the delegation at a luncheon in the Parliament’s official guest house, where all of the meals were hermetically sealed with the Brussels Chabad kashrut certification. In the evening, the guests were treated to a meal at the home of the Chabad emissary, Rabbi Shmuel Mandel Finson, who gave them a very warm welcome.

On Thursday a reception was held in Antwerp’s city hall, as well as a formal dinner in a glatt kosher restaurant, with the participation of the local emissary, Rabbi Shabtai Slavtitzky, who spoke to all of the participants and forged ties of friendship with them.

The climax of the visit was when party head Mr. Philip Dewinter signed a document calling for Jewish settlement all over Judea and Samaria, and against a Palestinian state. He took it upon himself to get the signatures of many more heads of right-wing parties in Europe on this document.

Prof. Hillel Weiss speech at Flemish Parliament in Brussel - 6 April 2011

2011-04-08T18:35:00.002+03:00

Distinguished colleagues,

The freedom parties of Europe known by various names have rallied to rescue the West from the Islamic take-over of the continent by sword, a continent which in the past, too, was threatened by barbarian invasions which were stopped in Spain and in Vienna. Today even before military force has arrived here, conquest and occupation are already taking place by means of the millions of immigrants whose behavior does not hide their ambition to impose the rule of Islam as a religion and as a political culture - on all of the countries of Europe by force, and not just by changing the religion and culture.

We Jews were here in Europe before. We were exterminated by the millions, in the nineteen forties. Despite that, by the mercy of the Almighty God who saves us, a national homeland for the Jewish people has been built in the Land of Israel, as prophesied in our holy scriptures where it says that God will restore us to the land of our forefathers, will gather in all of our exiles, and in His holy city of Jerusalem He will re-build the Temple, which will be called a house of prayer for all the nations of the earth. This last stage has not yet taken place, but with God’s mercy, it will also happen, and as every Jew hopes, it will happen very soon, because we know that not a single word of what God has said through His prophets has been turned back unfulfilled.

The continuing support of the governments of Europe for the establishment of an Arab state in the Land of Israel makes it impossible for Europe to have any success in its struggle against Islam with all of the attending consequences. European intervention against the barbarity of Ghaddafi has perhaps succeeded in saving the lives of tens of thousands of human beings, but it has also fanned the flame of the conflict between Islam and the West, as Russia’s president Putin exclaimed. As to the resolution of this struggle - no one can foresee the end.

The almost-certain dread I have is that Europe’s compensation for offending Islam by intervening in Libya will be the usual victim, the lamb slaughtered as a sacrifice, the victim of all blood libels, namely, the Jewish people. This is what is known as the perpetual policy of appeasement.

Islam draws its strength from its dream of establishing a universal caliphate whose capital is Jerusalem. In doing this and in occupying Jerusalem, they strive to prove that the covenant between God and His people Israel – the Jewish people - has been cancelled. The Moslems are not the first people in history to express the idea that the God of Israel has abandoned His people. But in our Torah which is the basis of our faith it is written that “God will not cast off His people nor will He forsake His heritage.”

The unconcealed support and tremendous financial investment that the European Union is making in promoting an Arab state in the Land of Israel is an invitation to bring about a second Holocaust that will cause the people of Israel no less suffering than what they underwent during those terrible years in Europe.

We are confident that the God of Israel will save us, as He has saved us throughout history. Even if the price that we pay is great and terrible, “Our God is the God of faith and there is no injustice in Him, all of His paths are justice.”

But if you are genuine opposition parties who wish to help yourselves, your future, and your countries, and eradicate the Islam that is threatening you, you must declare now and forever your unqualified support for the exclusive rights of the Jewish people over the land of Israel in its Biblical borders. This is the only country in the world whose borders were set forth forever in the book that God gave His people at Mount Sinai, and in the language that God spoke with the forefathers of the nation .And you must loudly and vehemently oppose the idea of establishing an Arab state, or any other foreign state, in the Land of Israel other than the Jewish state.

The artificial Arab states which sprang up after World War I are revealing by the ferment overwhelming them now that they have no natural political collective fabric, but what unites them is their religion and their tribe loyalty. For all of them, democracy, human rights, pluralism, and liberalism are alien values and directly opposed to their culture. Anyone who deludes himself into thinking that he is moving Islam and the Islamic countries towards democracy is making a grave error and fostering an illusion that will cause much blood to be spilled until the true reality is acknowledged.

In Libya and Tunisia and in every Arab country where the previous dictatorial regime disappeared earlier than expected, chaos and turmoil will continue until a new dictatorship is established under the guise of being a democracy of one kind or another.

Egypt under Mubarak was also called a democracy.

The leaders of Europe and others spend much time claiming that Israel is infringing on the national rights of the Arabs mistakenly known as Palestinians. These claims are based on malice and ignorance.

On the subject of the rights of the Jewish people according to international law, we refer you to a letter written by our colleague, Attorney-at-Law, Mr. Howard Grief, which is attached here. The author states in detail in his letter to the former leaders of Europe what the clear-cut and unequivocal proofs of the proprietary rights of the Jewish people to the land of Israel are according to international law, and why these rights are irrevocable. He further censures the deceit and malice, the ignorance and wickedness of the former leaders of Europe, who are constantly fermenting and inciting their governments against the Jewish people and the State of Israel.

The detailed letter written by Mr. Grief, an eminent jurist, is structured on the foundations of his highly-acclaimed 700-page book which demands that the leaders of Europe retract their declaration so that they are not called before a court of justice. Such a trial will be held despite the opposition of the European leaders who are deceiving their people and their countries.

We do not know if you will help us in filing this lawsuit or even in disseminating the idea, nor do we know at present what unbiased court of international repute will entertain such a lawsuit. But we would be happy to clarify this subject in further conversation. There is a possibility that we would establish a court of impeccable repute to try criminals who intervene in the internal affairs of the State of Israel in order to exterminate it, under some self-righteous pretext that they are preserving the existing rights of the State of Israel.

In any case it is well known to anyone who has read the books of the prophets Joel, Ezekiel, Isaiah and the other prophets what will take place in the end of days, about justice being meted out to the nations of the world and what role is assigned to the holy city of Jerusalem in the end of days.

Let me cite one verse from the Prophets which is said by every Jew who prays daily:

“And liberators shall come up on Mount Zion to judge the Mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Lord's. And God shall be king over all the world. On that day, God will be One and His name will be One.”

And in the Book of Joel it is written:

“For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring back the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,

I will gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will enter into judgment with them there for My people and for My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and divided My land.”

We of the organization called ‘Eretz Israel Loyalists’ are holding the Land of Israel in trust for the Jewish people, since we live as Jewish citizens and residents within the borders of the Land of Israel, and we accept upon ourselves the authority of God and the Torah which He commanded us. Most regrettably, the governments of the state of Israel have been willing to submit to extortion even following the horrors of the Holocaust and are prepared to negotiate over relinquishing territory that lies within the Land of Israel, and even perhaps to allow the establishment of a demilitarized “Palestinian” state.

No one, and that includes the governments of the State of Israel, can ignore the rights of the Jews in the Land of Israel and traffic in their basic rights over the land, rights which are eternally irrevocable. Therefore any activity that they carry out of this nature is legally null and void. The more they are involved in expelling Jews from their homes or abandoning them, the more they undermine the purpose for which the state of Israel was established: to inherit and settle the land of Israel as in the days of Joshua Bin Nun , the Judges and the Kings.

In return for such maneuvers, Israel will receive only more terror and death.

Therefore, to bring about peace and joy and prosperity in Europe, and the redemption of the world, the children of Japhet must support the people of Israel and its state as being the Jewish state for Jews, which rules over all the expanses of the Biblically-mandated Land of Israel from the river of Egypt to the Great River, the Euphrates. And as in the days of King Solomon the son of David, Israel will be a state that symbolizes peace to all humanity, to all the nations and the dignity of man. In the words of the prophet “And the honor of God will appear upon us, from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God”.

News Alert: Samaritan community celebrates Passover April 28

2010-04-28T00:55:00.000+03:00

News Alert from the Shomron Liaison Office

April 28, is a very special day in the hills of the Shomron as the Samaritan community celebrates Passover. Some forty miles north of Jerusalem, an annual event occurs that transports the modern person thousands of years back in history.

The Samaritan Passover has, for over two thousand years, been observed on Mt. Gerizim and until today the Samaritans continue to gather there every year to offer the sacrifices prescribed in the Torah (Pentateuch). The Jewish people celebrate Passover each year, but since the Romans leveled the Temple in Jerusalem in A.D. 70, the biblically mandated sacrifices have not been offered by Jews. The Samaritans, by contrast, did not give their allegiance to the Jerusalem Temple (since the days of the Exile) and held their sacrificial services on Mt. Gerizim instead. Even after their Temple was destroyed, the Samaritans continued to offer sacrifices on Mt. Gerizim, and do so to this day.

The Passover service is not an easy sight to observe. As it was at the Jerusalem Temple, certain areas are restricted to certain people. The priests have the most privileged positions. The Samaritan men, the heads of the households, take their place with their family’s lamb at the sacrificial trough. Surrounding them are their families.

The service starts near the time of sunset. The Samaritan men dress in white garments, the leaders wear red hats. The Samaritans begin chanting and praying in biblical Hebrew and Aramaic. Then the signal is given, and the head of each household reaches for his knife to slice the throat of his family’s lamb. As soon as the deed is done, the Samaritans all begin clapping, congratulating each other and celebrating. About thirty-five sheep are slaughtered, about one for each larger family unit (there are no more than 900 Samaritans alive in the world today). Then the sheep are skinned and put on a pole (skewer) and carried over to one of the 2-3 meter deep roasting pits to be cooked for most of the night.

The Samarian communities are citizens of the State of Israel. Their community welcomes visitors throughout the year and visits can be arranged through the auspices of the Shomron Liaison Office either for mission groups as well as for personal one-on-one tours.

Similar to most years thousands of guests from Israel are expected to visit during the celebration including the Head of the Shomron Regional Council Mr. Gershon Mesika, Cabinet Minister Mr. Yuli Edelstein and Deputy Minister Mr. Ayoob Kara and others.

Press release: US Consulate in Jerusalem tours Jewish communities in Shomron as guests of Shomron Liaison Office

2010-04-16T14:28:00.003+03:00

IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE

April 16, 2010

The Shomron Liaison Office

Contact Information: David Ha'ivri, Executive Director, Tel: +97239368146 Cell: +972526071690 USA: 1-512-961-7059

Representatives of the US Consulate in Jerusalem, including Economic Officer and Political Officer, were guests of the Shomron Liaison Office in a series of meetings at the Barkan Industrial Park.
David Ha'ivri, Director of the Shomron Liaison Office, provided representatives, as well as Director of the Israel Office of the Zionist Organization of America, Jeff Daube, with an overview of the structure, function, and projects of the Shomron local and regional government.
Professor Yaakov Anker, Environmental Research Coordinator, Samaria and the Jordan Rift Regional Research and Development Center, and Professor Dan Eiskowitch, Department of Plant Sciences, Tel Aviv University provided perspective on the dire need for funding and regional cooperation for ecological projects. Such projects include the recycling of precious water and aggressive forestry planting for pollen production and bee-farming.
A representative of the Samaritan community from Mount Gerizim described the peculiar and difficult reality of falling between Israeli and Palestinian Authority economic and political jurisdiction. An issue of top priority, the representative asked that the Shomron Liaison Office be recognized by the American Consulate to assist the under-represented needs of the Samaritan community to the United Sates government.
The director of the Shomron Development Company provided statistics of non-Israeli workers in Jewish owned factories and building projects. One non-Israeli worker spoke on the benefits of his employment in the Barkan Industrial Park. The worker spoke also of the danger of losing his employment due to pressure and threats from within the Palestinian Authority and the loss of jobs due to international boycotts of products produced at Barkan.
Members of the Shomron Regional Council Social Services Department presented a Mobile Dental Clinic that provides much needed dental care for residents in remote communities throughout the region.
The Liason Office is grateful that reps of the Consulate are willing to learn about all sides of the reality on the ground.The American representatives were kindly asked to communicate to Washington three issues:
1. USAID should be made available not only for Palestinian Authority projects, but also for development of projects and resources for Jewish communities of the Shomron.
2. Boycotts and building freezes on the Jewish factories, businesses, and communities in the Shomron have a negative effect economically on the local Arab population.
3. United States involvement in local issues in the Shomron is best enhanced by ongoing conversation with the local leadership to better understand the implications of policies on the mixed populations of the region.

Thank you,

David Ha'ivri
Executive DirectorThe Shomron Liaison Office
Tel: +97239368146Cell: +972526071690USA: 1-512-961-7059

Affirmative action be initiated so that Jews of American ancestory will not be prevented from receiving equal

2010-03-10T21:55:00.003+02:00

News Alert from the Shomron Liaison Office

To our Friends and Supporters of the Shomron,
We in the Shomron have embarked on a proactive campaign to expose the discriminatory citizen services department and politicized program budgeting policies of the Consulate General of the United States in Jerusalem.
In recent years the Jewish residents of Judea and Shomron who are American citizens or of American ancestry are no longer allowed to be served for any services by the American Embassy in Tel-Aviv and are required to receive services from the Consulate General of the United States in Jerusalem. This policy disregards distances and personal convenience, since many of the communities in Judea and Shomron are adjacent to the greater Tel-Aviv/Dan region. In addition, all programs funded by the Consulate General of the United States in Jerusalem are exclusively for Arab residents of Judea and Samaria. We are demanding that an affirmative action policy be initiated giving Jewish residents of Judea and Shomron who are American citizens or of American ancestry equal access to receiving funding support for programs for populations at risk.
I implore you to send letters to Secretary of State the Honorable Ms. Hillary Clinton and to your Senators and Congressmen and request of them to support affirmative action concerning discriminatory funding policies currently being implemented at Consulate General of the United States in Jerusalem in the name of American foreign policy
See bellow copy of letter sent to Consulate General of the United States in Jerusalem.

David Ha’ivri
Executive Director

The American Consulate at Jerusalem, Israel

Cyndee Shalom,

I hope you are well.

David and I visited your office at the American Consulate at East Jerusalem over a month ago, during that meeting in which we provided an overview of the situation in the Shomron as a result of the construction freeze, we also raised the problematic policy restrictions and guidelines of the American Consulate in regard to discriminatory funding policies denying American citizens residing in Judea and Shomron access to programs for populations at risk. We requesting that a policy of affirmative action be initiated so that Jews of American ancestory will not be prevented from receiving equal funding similiar to Palestinians living in Judea and Samaria. We simply cannot fathom or understand how an American institution such as the American Consulate at East Jerusalem can perpetuate a blatantly racist policy against Jews of American ancestry.

We hope that you have brought the matter to the attention of the Vice-Consul responsible for implementing programs for population groups at risk at the consulate as you mentioned that you would, and we would hope of having the opportunity of meeting with him or her in the near future to find a solution to this unbearable situation.

We sincerely hope that this issue can be resolved amiably, however we are considering distribution of a petition to our supporters in the United States who will in turn send the petition to their to Congressman/women and Senators.

Hoping to hear from you, and all the best

With Respect,

David Ha'ivri Ron Jager

Executive Director Strategic Advisor

Shomron Liaison Office

- Hide quoted text -

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: David Ha'ivri <haivri@yeshuv.org>
Date: Sun, Feb 7, 2010 at 9:32 AM
Subject: Re: Follow-up on meeting with Shomron Liaison Office representatives held at the Consulate on Feb 3, 2010
To: Cyndee-Nga Trinh;TrinhC@state.gov

February 5, 2010

Consulate General of the United States – Jerusalem
Consulate Representative – Ms. Cyndee-Nga Trinh
Re: follow-up on meeting held at the Consulate on Feb 3, 2010
Cyndee Shalom,
I want to thank you for inviting us to the Consulate General of the United States. We made every effort to share with you and provide an objective assessment of the situation for the residents of Judea and Samaria in light of the construction freeze implemented recently.

The following is a review of the major points raised;

The increase in the growth of residents in Judea and Samaria is around 10 % annually, about double the national average

Hundreds of second and third generation residents have difficulty in receiving construction permits to expand or build new homes. We mentioned that the construction freeze only on Jewish residents has a racist connotation and message, in lieu of the rampant illegal construction undertaken unabatedly by Arab residents of Judea and Shomron

Hundreds of new families are currently on waiting lists waiting for available housing, many; if not most of these families are moving to Judea and Samaria from the center of the country. In many ways, the construction freeze has focused on the injustice being carried out against Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria, which has only increased the motivation of new residents to move and join the communities of Judea, and Samaria.

The construction freeze has directly contributed to the increasing unemployment rate among Arab residents in Judea and Samaria. A negative offshoot of this situation has been that as the unemployment rate increases, so does the motivation of these Arab residents to identify and join Hamas, since the Palestinian Authority has no interest in addressing this problem of rising unemployment due to the construction freeze

   A major issue raised towards the end of the meeting raised has to do with the implementation of programs for populations at risk within Judea and Samaria. According to the mission statement of the Consulate General of the United States – Jerusalem, all American citizens residing in Judea and Samaria are required to receive all services by the American consulate in Jerusalem and are barred from receiving or requesting any services from the American Embassy in Tel-Aviv. However as I reviewed the full gamut of programs and assistance being provided to residents of Judea and Samaria, the only recipients of these programs are Arab residents of Judea and Samaria. This discriminatory policy not only seems racist in nature, but also is unfairly ignoring the basic needs of populations in need only because they are American citizens of Jewish ancestry living in Judea and Samaria.
   For example why is an autistic child or youth at risk of American citizens who are Jewish not given any access to quality programs implemented by the Consulate General of the United States in a similar manner as the autistic child or youth at risk of Arab residents of Judea and Samaria.
   We strongly feel that these discriminatory and racist policies must be stopped immediately and that a program of affirmative action for the benefit of American citizens of Jewish ancestry residing in Judea and Samaria be implemented immediately. These outdated restrictions with a distinct discriminatory emanation certainly don’t foster an atmosphere of equality and a cooperative spirit among and for all residents of Judea and Samaria.
   In response to the current discriminatory policy of programming for populations at risk, we have included a list of potential programs and projects that might interest the Consulate General of the United States – Jerusalem for American citizens living within Judea and Samaria

   David Ha’ivri                                                                          Ron Jager
   Executive Director                                                                  Strategic Advisor

Type of Project	Recipient Population Group
Education
Educators talking to Educators from the United States	Forum on Values and Ethics for Educators
English Libraries and public computer centers	Enriching the 29 local libraries located throughout our communities, enhancing reading and internet skills for pre-schoolers to golden agers in English
Classroom Pen Pals	Creating Pen Pals through classroom video conferencing (twinning schools in the United States)
Encouraging Excellence in Education	Primary School age American Children with an emphasis on children from Ethiopia and the former USSR
Health
Dental Health for Kindergartens	Teaching pre-school children about dental care and prevention
Trauma
Art and Music therapy for American Holocaust Survivors and 2^nd generation	Group based intervention for American Holocaust Survivors and their children
Trauma Support for Terror Orphans	American Children who have lost a parent due to a terror attack
Therapeutic Petting Zoos	Using animals as a therapeutic venue to assist children at risk and other developmental challenges
Big Brother – Big Sister	Pairing Big Brothers and Big Sisters with children who have lost a parent or a sibling in a terror attack
Community
Empowerment Training	Workshops for young leadership (Dale Carnegie and similar courses)
Managing small communities	Officials from local authorities and from the United States and meet to share and teach one another about serving the public
Economic Development
American Entrepreneurship for Women	Women involved in establishing economic enterprises within their communities
Madison Ave. Marketing and Advertising	Learning how to reach out and present the Shomron based on an objective and positive narrative
Hosting Delegations of Politicians from the United States	Development of Site Mission program
Meeting of Business Minds	American type Coaching for local Businesses
Emergency Services
Fire and Rescue Services The regional districts of Judea and Samaria have established emergency services for all residents. About 70 % of all car accidents involve Arab residents, volunteer Fire and Rescue Services manned by Jewish residents respond and save lives and transport victims to hospital These volunteer services are in need of basic equipment	The Main Equipment in Use: Protective clothing (protective jackets, gloves, face shields, boots, trousers, coat, shoes, heat-resistant aprons, helmets) Fire engines(Ford Model 350 Platform) Block and tackle ,Axes ,Fire hoses ,Rope Rescue blankets ,Cutting and forcible-entry tools Alarms ,Portable fire extinguishers Fire-extinguishing equipment A personal safety alarm system ,Pumps ,Ladders Flashlights ,Safety-first kits ,Pickaxes Hooks , Harnesses

Thank you,

David Ha'ivri
Executive Director
The Shomron Liaison Office
Tel: +97239368146
Cell: +972526071690
USA: 1-512-961-7059

Chat Google Talk: haivri@yeshuv.org Skype: david_haivri

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Small Communities

2010-01-24T09:21:00.003+02:00

Living in cities there are times that one forgets that small communities can have large impacts on the world as we know Mevo Dotan West is a perfect example. There are only a few families who live here yet they are helping displaced youth. !!

“Dotan Ma’arav” is an educational agricultural farm that was established in 2008 in the Dotan Valley. The farm was established as a continuation of the “Maoz Tzvi” settlement point, which was erected in 2000 in northern Samaria.
Situated on a main transit route between Samaria and the northern valleys of Israel, with high historical and strategic importance;
This valley was the site of the Biblical sale of Joseph, and during the Six Day War, the Valley served as the key to the conquest of the entire Samaria region.

The Dotan Ma’arav farm is a model of the action required in the area, based on a Jewish, Land of Israel presence, development, investment, and connection to the land, through construction, agriculture and shepherding.
The Dotan Ma’arav farm will develop to become, with G-d’s help, a blossoming agricultural farm in the Dotan Valley, as part of a flourishing Jewish settlement effort throughout the area.
In essence, the farm serves as a home and an educational framework for youth who have not found their place in the accepted frameworks.

The “Dotan Ma’arav” farm is based on agriculture and shepherding. The farm is directed toward three central goals:
Settlement
Spread over as broad an area as possible, and creating noticeable and renewed Jewish traffic.
Economic
Creating an agricultural infrastructure and building an independent economic
spine that will provide the farm’s needs will provide the possibility of a livelihood for its residents, and will contribute to the development of the area as an independent productive place.
Educational
In parallel with the settlement-political aspect as well as the economic one, the farm sees a central value in being a framework for youth who are gathered here in the absence of any other framework.
The Farm allows for the youth to acquire tools for life, self esteem, educational values work ethic, self-discipline, and social responsibility. The Farm gives a stabilizing educational framework and a basis for work and for life.

Residents• A number of families live in the place permanently, and youth stay there voluntarily.
Buildings
• 8 caravans – for residence, which were renovated
· A covered stable
Agriculture
• 1500 dunams of shepherding ground were allocated by the Jewish Agency and the National Shepherding Authority
• 30 dunams of olive trees and orchards
• Tractors and agricultural equipment
• Horses for work and for touring
Infrastructure• Electricity and water connected by the authorities

AFOGKAS AGM and a Response to the Settlement Freeze

2009-12-25T12:13:00.000+02:00

By Ilana Leeds

The Australian Friends of Gush Katif and Shomron Inc held their Annual General Meeting yesterday evening in the Lamm Boardroom of Mizrachi Shule. Approximately thirty people attended which was surprising considering the serious nature of the issue under discussion – the Freeze on building Jewish Settlements in the Shomron region.

A short video on expulsion from Gush Katif was shown before the meeting proceedings. Mr Israel Mos sang The Partisan Song in Yiddish followed by several Hebrew songs sung by Rabbi Braun accompanied by his two sons. The financial report for the past year was then presented.

A short video presentation by David Ha’ivri, the Executive Director Shomron Liaison Office, was shown. David, who recently visited Australia, spoke from the building site at Havat Gilad - encouraging people to invest in building in the region for several reasons. One it is building for the future generations and ensuring the security of Israel and secondly to ensure that essentially Jewish land remains Jewish. On a very practical level, it also provides much needed employment in the region and ensures that there will be sufficient accommodation for young families in the Shomron. At the present time, there is a shortage of accommodation for new families in the Shomron region.

Rabbi Mordechai Raz gave an emotional account of his family’s demise in Poland during the dark years of the Nazis (may their names be erased from memory) and related how his grandfather and family had not bought land in Eretz Israel, as they had been advised to do by the Gerrer Rebbe. The Imrai Emes (Grandfather of the present Gerrer Rebbe) had warned Jews to flee to Israel ‘even in your slippers’. He had tried, along with many Rabbonim of the time, to persuade Jews to buy land in ‘Palestine’ as it was then known by the name given to it by Imperial Rome. However many did not listen and bought land in Poland, Germany and Austria, where they had lived for a few hundreds of years in relative peace. Rabbi Raz stated ‘Their ashes now lie scattered over Europe.’

Rabbi Kennard spoke next. He was concerned that an article he had written for the Jewish News (Unsettled by the Terminology – AJN, 27.11. 2009) would be misinterpreted to mean that he endorsed civil disobedience against the present Israel government. He emphasised that he supported the sovereignty of an elected Jewish government and democratic principles. He reiterated ‘we here in Australia should not be making decisions for Israelis who have to live with the consequences of our choices.’ He felt that his article focussed on the terminology used to describe the ‘settlers’ and felt that the word ‘settler’ had negative connotations and somehow dehumanised the people described as ‘settlers.’ Perhaps it would be better to describe them as Israeli citizens rather than settlers. He spoke with regard to Pekuah Nefesh – the saving of a life as a paramount principle that we as Jews live by.

Finally in answer, Rabbi Chaim Tzvi Gronor quoted from the Shulchan Aruch where it states that if there is a group of non Jews coming upon a Jewish city to rob and possibly endanger Jewish life, there is a strong heter to go out to defend the city even on Shabbat, in order to preserve lives. He also stated that settling the state of Israel is a matter of security. The Rebbe’s stance on shelamut Haaretz was also reiterated.

Some questions were fielded from the audience before Ma’ariv prayers. The Chairman of AFOGKAS Mr Moshe Elkman had had some T-shirts and bumper stickers printed with the slogan ‘Obama don’t Dictate, It’s Our Jewish State’ which were on sale at the door and are available from the AFOGKAS or can be ordered through the’ One State One Nation’ website.

In view of the serious nature of events taking place in Israel, it is surprising that there are not more people present at a meeting such as this. As of today, the bulk of the people exiled from Gush Katif have still not found stable employment and there are many people still seriously traumatised by the expulsion from their homes at Gush Katif. The questions that must be asked are ‘What will the settlement FREEZE prove and how will it assist Israel to defend its borders? Whose interests does it serve? How are the interests of the Israeli people being served by this order?’

Group bids to return to Joseph's Tomb

2009-11-20T01:36:00.002+02:00

Nov. 19, 2009
JPost.com Staff , THE JERUSALEM POST

Nine years after the IDF withdrew from Nablus, a new group was launched on Thursday morning which aims to restore Jewish presence to the Joseph's Tomb compound, in the heart of the West Bank city.

The initiative follows improved security which has led to the army's removal of roadblocks at the entrance to several Palestinian towns, including the Hawara checkpoint at the southern entrance to Nablus.

The group, named Gar'in Shchem, is made up of Judea and Samaria residents, including rabbis and veteran settler leaders.

In October 2000, Israel withdrew from the tomb after a fierce gun battle in which six Palestinians and Border Police Cpl. Madhat Yusef were killed. Within a week, a Palestinian mob ransacked and burned the buildings in the compound, and Eilon Moreh resident Hillel Lieberman, who also held US citizenship, was killed en route to the tomb. The father of seven was one of the founders and administrators of the Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva at Joseph's Tomb, and had wanted to pray there.

Until recently, visits to the tomb were made clandestinely by Breslav Hassidim, against IDF orders. Now, the Yitzhar-based organization Shechem Ehad (shoulder to shoulder) organizes monthly visits to the tomb.

"It is already nine years since Joseph's Tomb was burned, plundered and abandoned. It's time to remove the shame," read a flyer distributed by Gar'in Shchem on Thursday.

The group aims to get widespread public support for their plan, before setting up a protest tent near the IDF Samaria Division headquarters and finally organizing a march to Nablus.

"There is no longer a security hindrance," said organizers, according to Army Radio. "This is Israeli territory according to every law and we intend to return there at any cost."

Tovah Lazaroff and Matthew Wagner contributed to this report.

Palin: Jewish Settlements Should Be Allowed to Expand

2009-11-20T01:12:00.002+02:00

Real Estate Shopping Is Used as Political Theater on Jerusalem’s Contested Ground

2009-11-20T01:08:00.002+02:00

By ISABEL KERSHNER
Published: November 18, 2009

JERUSALEM — Dov Hikind, a member of the New York State Assembly, was in this disputed city on Wednesday looking for property to buy. He said he was most excited about a new apartment complex overlooking the Old City called Nof Zion.
At noon, Mr. Hikind led a group of about 50 American Jews in laying a cornerstone for the next phase of Nof Zion, with construction scheduled to start next spring. “I want to buy here,” Mr. Hikind said. “I might make a deal while I am here this time.”

More than a real estate deal, though, it would be a statement: Nof Zion, a private Jewish project, is in Jebel Mukaber, a Palestinian Arab neighborhood of East Jerusalem, in territory Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 war. Israel claims sovereignty over all Jerusalem; the Palestinians demand the eastern part as the capital of a future state.

Even within Israel, the idea of Jews moving into predominantly Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem stirs heated debate. Two well-known Israeli families refused City Hall’s offer to name the street leading to Nof Zion for their deceased relatives, according to the local Jerusalem press.

But illustrating the complexity of the Jerusalem conundrum, others argue that Jews, Christians and Muslims should be able to live wherever they like. Not allowing Jews to live in certain neighborhoods of the city “is segregation,” said Mr. Hikind, a Democrat who represents several heavily Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods in Brooklyn.

With new tensions surfacing between the Obama administration and Israel over building in contested parts of Jerusalem, the city’s character and future remain central motifs in the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

The cornerstone-laying ceremony at Nof Zion took place a day after the Israeli authorities moved ahead with plans for the expansion of Gilo, a Jewish residential district in south Jerusalem also on land captured in the 1967 war. The plans for 900 more housing units drew a sharp rebuke from the White House.

President Obama, speaking to Fox News from Beijing, said “additional settlement-building does not contribute to Israel’s security” and would make peace efforts harder.

“I think it embitters the Palestinians in a way that could end up being very dangerous,” he said.

From 1948 to 1967 Jerusalem was divided between Jordanian and Israeli control. It has been united, at least nominally, under Israeli control for the past 42 years. In that time, the parts of Jerusalem claimed by the Palestinians have turned into a patchwork of Arab and new Jewish neighborhoods, home to as many as 250,000 Palestinians and roughly 190,000 Jews.

As long as the populations live in separate quarters, advocates of two states, Israel and Palestine co-existing side by side, say a formula for an agreement on Jerusalem can still be found, with the Jewish areas administered by Israel and Arab areas placed under the control of the Palestinian authorities in the West Bank.

But critics charge that mingling the two populations will destroy the prospects for a two-state solution. As a first step toward resuming the peace process, the Obama administration and the Palestinian leadership had been trying to get Israel to halt all settlement activity to create a more conducive environment for talks. The Israeli government has offered to slow down construction, but not to halt it completely, and it refuses to include Jerusalem in any settlement freeze.

Mr. Hikind vociferously opposes the Obama stance, which means, he says, that Jewish residents “cannot build a toilet” in the West Bank. He said he was also for peace, only “unfortunately, it is not happening” right now.

Earlier this week his party toured the Jewish settlements of Samaria in the northern West Bank with a view toward buying houses or trailers to rent to settler families. On Wednesday morning, before the cornerstone ceremony, the group, which visited the settlements in a show of solidarity, toured Silwan and other Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem where Jewish religious nationalists have moved in.

Nof Zion is built on privately owned land that an Israeli developer bought over the years. In the first stage of the project, 91 apartments were built, and 70 are already occupied. There are kindergartens, a small park with a jungle gym and plans for a domed synagogue.

Across town, in the Arab East Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya, the Israeli authorities on Wednesday demolished a Palestinian home that had been built without a permit. The security forces accompanying the bulldozers were pelted with stones. Several other unauthorized structures were taken down in other Arab areas, including Silwan.

When it comes to demolitions, Jerusalem’s City Hall says it applies the law equally in all parts of the city, regardless of religion or race. But officials acknowledge that the process of obtaining a building permit is costly and complicated. Most Palestinian residents do not qualify.

Many of them feel that the Israelis are trying to push them out.

“In Gilo they are building; here they are demolishing,” said Abdul Halim Dari, 44, the owner of the destroyed house in Issawiya.

Rina Castelnuovo contributed reporting.

American PR Know-How for Samaria Jewish Activists

2009-11-19T22:03:00.000+02:00

Kislev 2, 5770, 19 November 09 12:40
by Hana Levi Julian

(Israelnationalnews.com) Samaria residents are learning how to present the needs and views of their communities in a way that the American public can hear it best. The Shomron (Samaria) Liaison Office is running an intensive training program for community activists, according to Executive Director David Ha'Ivri, who said the 13-week course, is being taught in English by a Dale Carnegie trainer.

Sixteen towns across Samaria are participating in the program, each of which sent two delegates to be trained. Part of the cost, said Ha'Ivri, is being picked up by an anonymous donor "who understands the importance of our improving our PR and presentation."

Ron Bowman, who runs the Dale Carnegie program in Israel, "has been a Carnegie trainer for 35 years," Ha'Ivri added. "He doesn't speak a word of Hebrew. They have trainers in Hebrew, but we opted for the expert and the added gain of helping our people become comfortable speaking in English."

Since getting one's message across to the American people is becoming increasingly important, Ha'Ivri said it is likely his office will run the program again, although probably not in the coming year. The Shomron Liaison Office was set up a year ago by Shomron Regional Council director Gershon Mesika specifically to improve the image of the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, he said.

"We are more than often up against outside forces and foreign media who take full advantage of our lacking in public relations skills," he noted. "It is imperative that we learn to present our cause with clarity and conviction. When we are done with this type of training we will take the same people and work with them on other aspects -- fundraising, speaking in front of TV cameras, background on issues of debate, history, land rights, and other matters," he said.

US Jews: We Want to Live in Judea and Samaria

2009-11-17T20:32:00.000+02:00

Cheshvan 30, 5770, 17 November 09 05:45
by Hillel Fendel
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/134467

(Israelnationalnews.com) New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind is in Israel for three days, with a busload of other Jews from the U.S., and their message is: “The Jewish presence in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem is growing and will continue to grow – and we want to be a part of it.”

A state assemblyman from Brooklyn since 1983, Hikind told Israel National Radio’s Yishai Fleisher on Monday, “Obama, Clinton, and the others – we will continue to give our message to those who just don’t get it, and that is that these communities will continue to grow and get stronger, regardless of the position taken by any American president. There will continue to be more and more people here as pressure is applied to Israel.”

In addition to carrying this message, a more practical purpose of the quick visit is to look into possibilities of building or buying homes in eastern Jerusalem and/or Judea and Samaria. To this end, the group visited Samaria on Monday, stopping off in Elon Moreh, Itamar, Rechelim and the Gilad Farm (Havat Gilad, east of Kedumim).

At Gilad Farm, they met with two men who can help them with their desire to purchase property or build a home: Moshe Zar, owner of some 600 dunams (150 acres) of land in the area, whose son Gilad was murdered by Palestinian terrorists in June 2001 in a roadside shooting just a mile away, and Gershon Mesika, Mayor of the Samaria Regional Council. In some of the Samaria communities, the only signature missing for approval of a new home is that of Mesika – who is readily inclined to give it. For information, click here.

The group also visited Nof Tzion, a new Jewish neighborhood in eastern Jerusalem, too look into possibilities of living there as well. On Tuesday, they were scheduled to arrive in Shdemah, between Jerusalem and Gush Etzion, where Hikind will plant an olive tree in support of the ongoing struggle to keep Shdema in Jewish hands.

Accompanying Hikind on the trip are “all types,” he said. “We have a comedy writer from Los Angeles and his family, businesspeople, teachers, rabbis, people with and without yarmulkes – all sorts of people who want to be a part of this. We will also be running another trip soon of American elected officials, both Jewish and non-Jewish; they have to see with their own eyes that the proposed two-state solution is not only a non-starter because Israel has no peace partner on the Arab side, but that it is also a major danger to the State of Israel.”

Discounting Obama’s policies regarding Israel almost totally, Hikind was only slightly more generous to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu: “He’s got to stand by the positions he took as a candidate, meaning to recognize the right of Jews to build in their communities and to expand; we’re not talking about new communities, but to say that you can’t grow or expand your home is absolutely preposterous.”

A no-holds-barred Zionist, Hikind described in glowing terms the determination and resolve of the Jews in Judea and Samaria: “The people in these communities, they just move ahead and do what they have to do!... For us, what a pleasure it is to fill the rooms in the hotel in Ariel with our group!”

Samaria Regional Head: Selah Abused Deportees for Years

2009-11-10T09:49:00.001+02:00

Reported: 11:30 AM - Nov/09/09

(IsraelNN.com) Head of the Samaria Regional Council, Gershon Mesika. wished the new appointments to the head of the Selah Administration luck in their new positions and sharply criticized the conduct of the group since its establishment and until today, "Selah abused the deportees for years,” he said.

According to Mesika, while Selah’s stated goal was to help in the rehabilitation of the deportees from Gaza and northern Samaria, most of those expelled could only laugh at the organization’s conduct. “Most of the deportees feel that the true aim of the organization was to prevent them from receiving the things which by law they were entitled to receive.”

Melbourne speaking tour

2009-11-03T21:30:00.001+02:00

On my long flight home to Kfar Tapuach in Israel from a very intensive 9 day speaking tour in Melbourne, I had time to read through last week's edition of the Australian Jewish News, and was surprised to see a reader's letter commenting on my presentation at Beth Weizman last Sunday evening. The event and my tour were hosted by the Melbourne based "Australian Friends of Gush Katif and Shomron," under the banners of www.onestateonenation.org and "Two States No Solution". The headline and full program of the evening were drawn up and planned by my hosts.

My agenda was clearly not a political one. I represent the Jewish communities in the Shomron, and part of my responsibilities within the framework of the Shomron Liaison Office is to reach out to Jewish communities around the world in an effort to correct the unfair and inaccurate image of our communities, which have been mercilessly smeared by a radically biased media, as well as others who’s political agendas include our destruction.

I was truly overwhelmed by the positive reception and the intensely-packed itinerary my hosts had set out for me during my stay. Arriving for the first time in a relatively small and distant Jewish community such as Melbourne, I didn't really expect to find myself running from meeting to meeting from the very moment I arrived at the airport until I left back to Israel. Over this short time I spoke publicly in front of some thirty groups, including classrooms and general assemblies at 5 schools, synagogues on Shabbat and youth groups as well as many one-on-one meetings with community leaders, rabbis, educators, local politicians and journalists.

The main thrust of my message was very clear and focused: The Jewish presence in the Shomron is totally legitimate. We are living in the Heartland of the Jewish National Homeland and by doing so we are exercising the historical and national rights of our people. I pointed out that not only is this true according to the Bible; but also, according to international law, the Jewish people are the true owners of the land which 62 years ago became known as “the West Bank,” but which was known for over 2000 years before that as “Yehuda and Shomron,” or “Judea and Samaria.”

Another message that I put forward, was that most “Jewish settlers” actually lead very normal, peaceful lives - we aren’t taking part in some kind of political demonstration 24/7. We have children and schools, families and businesses - just like you do.

The Arab propagandists might have a stronger voice on university campuses and in the UN, but that doesn't mean that they are right. On this tour I have learned that many people understand that fact, and that the Jewish community in Melbourne is hungry to hear the unfiltered Jewish side of this story. The State of Israel is under unprecedented international pressure to halt "settlement growth". Many people who heard my presentation where shocked to learn that the meaning of “settlement” freeze is that if my family has grown and I need to add on an extra room to my home in Kfar Tapuach, I should not be allowed to do so; or that if my grown daughter who has grown up in this community wishes to marry, she will be forced to relocate elsewhere because Obama demands that Jews not be allowed to build new homes here and there are no homes to rent.

The demand by the international community to freeze Jewish growth in Yehuda and Shomron has no comparison anywhere else in the world. But, for some unexplained reason, it is considered legitimate to make such racist demands of Israel - as long as it is Jews who are being discriminated against, and not Arbs. Could you imagine a foreign country pressuring America to impose a freeze on Black “population growth” in Chicago? Surely that would be outrageous! Yet to suggest the same regarding Jews in their homeland is OK?

In the summer of 2005 the Israeli government carried out the "Disengagement" from Gaza and Northern Shomron. Thousands of Jews were forcefully evicted from their homes by soldiers. Their homes, schools and greenhouses were raised to the ground because they belonged to Jews. Jewish bones were dug out from cemeteries to be placed elsewhere. If this had been done any place else in the world and if those evicted were not Jews, it would have been condemned as “ethnic cleansing,” and not so thoroughly whitewashed as the far more neutral-sounding “disengagement.”

I never called these actions a pogrom. The Jewish soldiers who were commanded to carry out these deeds cried while doing so and have been scarred for life. Many of them needed psychological treatment to deal with their regrets and nightmares, as do many of the former residents of these townships and their children. Four and a half years later, the majority of these displaced Jews have not yet established permanent residences or found suitable work. Many who did receive compensation for their homes have been living off that money and will be left with nothing at all before they are even resettled. Had this happened elsewhere, an international outcry would have been sounded – yet none was heard. The State of Israel imposed this on its own people at the price of a “peace” that they hoped would emerge from such a forced “separation of populations.” But the results speak for themselves, and the result was the creation of a “Hamastan” in Gaza. From the very locations that Jews lived, studied Torah and cultivated the land, rockets were launched into Israeli cities such as Sderot and Ashkelon, and even further. The international pressure on the State of Israel to freeze Jewish growth in Yehuda and Shomron is actually a call on Israel to continue to impose - in stages - the failed concept of “disengagement” throughout Israel. The Jewish community deserves to know the facts behind the slogans.

In the name of the Jewish communities of the Shomron whom I represent, I would like to express gratitude to the members of the Australian Friends of Gush Katif and Shomron. Through their insight and amazing organizational skills and hard work, my short visit to Melbourne was very effective. Through direct contact and visualization, members of your community now posses a far greater understanding of and real connection with our communities here.

MELBOURNE JEWISH GROUP PROTESTS VISIT BY ISRAEL SUPREME COURT JUSTICE

2009-11-02T22:39:00.001+02:00

RIVLIN FACES AUSSIE PROTEST!!!!!

Justice Eliezer Rivlin, President Israeli Supreme Court was guest speaker last night at an event hosted by Monash and Deakin Law Faculties in Melbourne.

Rivlin was greeted by a protest from activist group Australian Friends of Gush Katif & Shomron Inc with a banner saying

HIGH COURT OF SUPREME INJUSTICE!!!!

The protest was aimed at highlighting the anti religious and anti Jewish approach of the High Court while at the same time sending a strong message of support to the brave settlers of Yehuda Shomron commonly known as the West Bank

The organizers of the event locked out Moshe Elkman, Chairman Australian Friends of Gush Katif n& Shomron Inc a religious Jew and high profile businessman who advertises widely in the printed press, TV and radio from the lecture even though Mr Elkman had reserved seats stating that he was

“A THREAT TO THE STAFF!!!!”

Mr Elkman questioned the organizers and stated “You are representing two large law faculties and I would have thought that “freedom of speech” would have been a principle your organizations would endorse!!!!!!”

AUSTRALIAN FRIENDS OF GUSH KATIF & SHOMRON INC

PO BOX 653 ELSTERNWICK VICTORIA AUSTRALIA 3185

613 95283395 ABN 79 588 432 424

www.onestateonenation.org

01/11/09

PRESS RELEASE

LOCAL JEWISH GROUP PROTESTS VISIT BY ISRAEL SUPREME COURT JUSTICE

At 5.30 pm on Monday November 2nd, 2009 Australian Friends of Gush Katif & Shomron will be standing outside the University Law Chambers at 472 Bourke St to protest the visit by the President of the Israeli Supreme Court, Justice Eliezer Rivlin. They will be holding a banner that says:

HIGH COURT OF SUPREME INJUSTICE!

The role of the Israeli Supreme Court should be to be the ultimate Protector of Jewish rights, Jewish freedoms and Jewish lives. Tragically, under the Presidency of Justice Eliezer Rivlin, this is not the case. On many instances when presented with the opportunity to defend Jewish rights, the Court has opted instead to give comfort, solace and support (legal, moral and otherwise) to those who would kill, weaken or even expel us from our ancestral land.

Israeli society is composed of many competing interests: religious, ethnic, moral and more. In case after case the Israeli Supreme Court has shown that it is not an impartial umpire, repeatedly coming down either on the side of secular values, or not taking the opportunity to take a principled moral stand. We are also sending a message of support, strength and encouragement to those who are fulfilling the religious commandment to settle ALL the land of Israel.

Moshe Elkman

CHAIRMAN

Australian Friends of Gush Katif & Shomron Inc

Visit to Joseph's tomb on memorial for Rachel Imenu

2009-10-30T12:26:00.002+02:00

In honor of the yarzite of Rachel Imenu the Israel army allows ten bus-loads of Jewish worshipers to visit the burial site of her son Joseph at the biblical city Shechem. This month's event was sponsored by Australian philanthropist rabbi Joseph Gutnick.

Volunteers for Shomron by Binyamin Rubin

2009-10-18T19:23:00.000+02:00

Many trips to Israel focus on the country’s unmistakable diversity. From the overcrowded streets and courtyards of the shtetl-like Mea Shearim and Bnei Brak to the ultra-modern clubs of Tel Aviv; from the magnificent landscaping of the Bahai gardens in Haifa to the austere Bedouin tents of the Negev, Israel is certainly a place like no other. Yet, one community is, time and time again, neglected by the tour companies, ignored by the guidebooks, while simultaneously being demonized by the Western media. Consequently, the thriving communities in Yehuda and Shomron, the Jewish heartland, are deprived a voice, sorely lacking advocates in the Diaspora to make their case. In partnership with the Shomron Liason’s Office, the Zionist Freedom Alliance (ZFA) is starting to rectify this dire situation, which has caused so much misunderstanding over the past four decades. Beginning this past August, the ZFA began offering free, week-long volunteer trips to Jewish villages in the Shomron, during which participants have the opportunity to both physically and emotionally support these communities and, upon returning home, become advocates for the so often trampled upon rights of these Jews.

On the inaugural trip, ten participants (myself included) had the experience of a lifetime, each day of the trip being a new adventure. One day we planted a vineyard, another day we built a playground, and yet another day we helped build a house. Each day we poured sweat into the parched earth, building our personal and national connections with our ancestral homeland, forging a bond both with the land and its people. In total, we volunteered in five different towns, including Shavei Shomron, Har Bracha, Yitzhar, Kfar Tapuach and Havat Gilad, each one with its own unique character, charismatic personalities and, of course, adorable children. And similarly, in each of these communities we heard of both the deep love for Israel and the simultaneous hardships caused by inadequate allocation of security and resources, building freezes, housing demolitions and expulsions. [Sadly, just today (Oct 12), I learned that one of our gracious hosts, Akiva HaCohen from Yitzhar has been temporarily barred from his home by the Civil Administration without cause.] After all of these experiences, our group left the trip clearly understanding the need to advocate for these communities who have been so maligned by the press. As the US and the EU, among others, continue to push for the destruction of these communities and the expulsion of these people from their homes, the need for a new breed of young activists and advocates is self evident. Come be part of the revolution. For more information about our next trip, contact the Zionist Freedom Alliance at info@zfa.org.il

Claiming a Stake in Jewish History

2009-10-16T14:05:00.000+02:00

(IsraelNN.com) Young English-speaking Jewish youth from America and Israel came together recently to build the community of El Matan in Samaria. The six day program, organized by the Samaria Liaisons Office and Zionist Freedom Alliance, brought ZFA activists to live and work in the Jewish village under the slogan of “Become a pioneer and claim your stake in Jewish history.”

Several volunteers spoke to INN TV's Yoni Kempinski about their experience.
ZFA Director-General Yehuda HaKohen told Israel National News that the project was designed to defy "discriminatyr policies" by Western governments in the Land of Israel "that single out Jews as an ethnic group and place restrictions on our ability to live normal lives in our own country."

Participants commented that just as Tel Aviv, which can be seen from El Matan, was built by Jews coming home and working the Land of Israel, this generation of Jews returning home must also build the land in order to secure the Jewish future.

Director of the Shomron Liaisons Office, David Ha'ivri said, “It is a pleasure working with the ZFA in order to offer a hands-on experience for Jewish youth who wish to add their personal mark on the Jewish national movement called Zionism... they are in fact actually joining the ranks of Trumpeldor and Ben-Yosef who did the same exact thing in Tel Chai and Rosh Pina decades ago.”

Samaria Regional Council Head Gershon Mesika expressed his appreciation to the volunteers, and said it was “inspiring to see young Jews from the West coming out to our hilltops, rolling up their sleeves and working the land of the Shomron.”

Why Make The Ushpizin Come To You? Pilgrims Bring Sukkah To Kever Yosef

2009-10-16T01:06:00.000+02:00

By Samuel Sokol

On Wednesday, October 7, hundreds of pilgrims made their way into the ancient city of Shechem, known to the Arabs as Nablus, to pray at the gravesite of the Biblical figure Yosef haTzaddik.

The visit was timed to coincide with the fifth night of Sukkos. According to tradition, seven Biblical figures, known as the ushpizin, come to visit the sukkos of those observing the holiday, with Yosef arriving on the fifth night.

Groups of pilgrims come monthly, escorted by Israeli security forces in heavily armored bulletproof buses. According to the Oslo Accords, the Palestinian Authority is required to grant Jews free access to the site. However, in 2000, after years of repeated attacks on worshippers and attempts by Fatah terrorists to take over the tomb, then Prime Minister Ehud Barak ordered a withdrawal and surrendered the holy site to the PA.

After the withdrawal, Arabs burned Kever Yosef, destroying the adjacent Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva complex and smashing the dome above the gravesite.

Currently, visits must be coordinated with the army, which secures the area by imposing a curfew and escorts buses of pilgrims to the shattered structure. Only three buses are allowed in at a time. Due to the volume of worshippers, the army escorts people into the tomb in shifts.

Members of the Shomron municipal council set up a sukkah next to the kever, serving refreshments for those who came to pray. In the courtyard of what was once the yeshiva, several meters away from the tomb itself, a musician played traditional Jewish melodies while a mix of worshippers, from Chassidim to casually dressed settlers, danced together in a circle, singing holiday songs.

The Five Towns Jewish Times spoke with David Ha’ivri of the Samaria Liaison Office regarding the visit. He stated, “On the one hand, we’re very glad that we have the opportunity to visit Kever Yosef about once a month. We are very grateful to the IDF command for facilitating this visit and, as we can see, thousands of people from around the country are eager to take part in the prayers at Kever Yosef. On the other hand, the situation is still very disgraceful. Kever Yosef is standing in ruins. It has been terribly desecrated by the Arabs in Shechem. We need to cause a situation where we can renovate and show our honors to Yosef, to G-d, and to the Jewish people. We must reclaim Kever Yosef for the Jewish people in order to reestablish the yeshiva, and open up Kever Yosef to Jewish visitors at any time during the day, throughout the week.”

In November 2007, Gershon Mesika was elected as mayor of the Shomron regional council and immediately petitioned the local military command to allow him and his staff to visit Kever Yosef in order to hold a special thanksgiving prayer session. Afterwards, Mesika negotiated with the army to allow for monthly pilgrimages to the tomb. Every month, thousands of people rush to register for one of several hundred highly prized seats on specially chartered buses. This was a welcome change for the Jewish community, after seven years without access to the holy site.

Mesika commented that while almost a thousand people came to Kever Yosef over the holiday, thousands more would certainly come were the IDF to permit it. The mayor decried that fact that Jews are forced to visit one of their holiest sites like “thieves in the night.”

Currently, the Israeli Defense Forces only allow pilgrims access to the site after dark when the area is easier to secure. The route leading to the tomb complex is lined with Palestinian Authority flags and posters of terrorists belonging to the Arab militias that operate in the area.

Mesika quoted an ancient tradition that states that Kever Yosef “is one of the three places where the non-Jews cannot deceive the Jewish People by saying that they stole it from them” due to it being recorded in scripture that the area was purchased by the Jewish people.

The Palestinian Authority has claimed that Kever Yosef is in fact not a Jewish shrine, but rather the burial place of a Muslim sheikh. However, the PA has a history of denying the historical connections between the Jewish people and holy sites.

The Palestinian Authority has denied that the Temple ever existed in Jerusalem. The Palestinian authority has recently incited riots in order to defend the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Adnan Husseini of the Waqf, the Islamic trust responsible for overseeing the mount, has called Jews who ascend to the Temple Mount extremists and blamed the recent violence on their presence.

Rabbi Yaakov Yosef, former Knesset member and son of Shas spiritual leader Rav Ovadia Yosef, attended the festivities at the tomb. As he led prayers, people crowded around him, jostling to snap pictures. He commented on the significance of visiting Kever Yosef on the night in which Yosef is said to visit the sukkos of Jews all over the world. “We remind ourselves of Yosef, not just in theory when we invite him into our sukkos, but we visit him in his place so that [the merit] of Yosef haTzaddik will guard over all of Israel.”

When asked if he believed that Jews would soon be able to visit the tomb during the day, the rabbi responded, “We hope that today Mashiach will arrive and redeem us and we will arrive here during the day as we once did, without fear.”

Helen Freedman runs the best Israel mission - next trip November.

2009-10-13T01:38:00.000+02:00

1751 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10128

Tel: 212-828-2424; Fax: 212-828-1717;

E-mail afsi@rcn.com Website; http://www.afsi.org/

Contact: Helen Freedman, Executive Director

Developing ITINERARY FOR NOV. 8-15 for AFSI/Manhigut Yehudit MISSION TO ISRAEL

Land cost is $1500.

Sunday, Nov. 8 – Depart from Newark on 1:30 afternoon ElAl flight #28. This is the suggested flight. You must make your own travel arrangements. Round trip flight to Israel and back from NY – approx. $1000.

Monday, Nov. 9 – Arrive Ben Gurion at 7 AM – allow 1-1/2 hours for luggage and details – meet bus and our guide, – depart for Bet Horon (meet Yehudit Tayar) travel to Atarot (now Area A – no Jews allowed), Psagot (see encroachment of Ramallah and security center), Beit El (meet Hillel Mann – plant trees –visit the winery, meet the Arutz Sheva staff). Continue traveling north to Shilo area – visit Ronit Shukar, recipient of the Moskowitz Prize, 2009 Lion of Zion award, at her home, Meshek Achiya – arrive in Ariel and check into the Ashel HaShomron hotel. Meet Avi Zimmerman who will show us the security fence, the Antenna Hill military post, will introduce us to soldiers, and representatives from former Netzarim/Gush Katif community. Dinner at hotel. Mayor of Ariel, Ron Nachman, will speak to us after dinner.

Tuesday, Nov. 10 – Brief visit to former Netzarim/Gush Katif residents living in Ariel. Shmuel Sackett will be on the bus as we depart for Jordan Valley school, and a stop at the “green” power plant in Naharayim. As we travel through the Galilee, we’ll see the encroachment again of the Arab communities everywhere. Travel to ancient city of Pekiin for lunch. Meet Aharon Pulver of the Israel Independence Fund. He will guide us to the Shomrim hilltop settlements in the Galilee. Meet with an army representative to discuss security issues in the area. Check into Kibbutz Lavi for dinner & overnight. Joel Busner, Director of B’ahavat Yisrael, a group dedicated to saving the Galilee, will speak to us.

Wednesday, Nov. 11 – Drive to the Mediterranean coast. Stop in historic cities Zichron Yaakov and Caesarea. Then on to the upper Shomron communities of Shaked, Hermesh and Mevo Dotan. Stop in Ranana for a visit to the technical park located there, and a late lunch/supper at the “best restaurant in Israel.” We will then drive on to Yerushalayim and check into the Kings Hotel for overnight Wednesday and Thursday. If time permits, and there is a “shower” for Gush Katif brides in Har Nof, those who wish to participate may do so.

Thursday, Nov. 12 – Full day in Yerushalayim – Begin the day with sunrise prayers at the Kotel. Those who wish may go through the ritual preparations for ascending the Har Habayit with Rabbi Richman. Dan Luria will guide us through Ir David, Silwan and the Old City. Arieh King will guide us through eastern Yerushalayim, concentrating on contested areas. Moshe Feiglin will be arranging our Knesset visit with our MK friends, as well as dinner at the Knesset.

Friday – Nov. 13 - Visit Shdema just south of Jerusalem with Nadia Matar and Yehudit Katzover. Learn about the Arab efforts to take over the area, with the help of U.S. AID. Drive south through Gush Etzion communities – Allon Shvut, Tekoa – arrive in Kiryat Arba at Yeshivat Nir for Chaye Sarah meals and overnight. We will participate in the spiritually uplifting Kabbalat Shabbat in the Ma’Arat HaMachpela. Following services, we’ll return to Kiryat Arba for dinner at the Yeshiva. After dinner, Michael Freund will introduce us to B’nei Menashe from India who are presently living in Kiryat Arba.

Saturday – Nov. 14 – Shabbat Chaye Sarah – You will have your choice of prayers at the Yeshiva or in Hebron. Lunch at Yeshiva. Afternoon tour of Hebron – Havdalah in Maarat HaMachpela – leave for Ashkelon motzei Shabbat. Dinner and overnight in Ashkelon.

Sunday – Nov. 15 – Morning visit to Sderot – meet Alon Davidi, Sderot Security Chief – visit Rabbi Fendel at the Hesder Yeshiva of Sderot. Light lunch at the famous Victor’s restaurant. Drive to Nitzan to visit Dror Vanunu and Gush Katif refugees. Tour the various refugee communities and see some of the new buildings. Farewell dinner in Ashkelon. Drive to airport for midnight departures for those returning to NY. Those who are staying on will be taken to Yerushalayim.

Pilgrims visit Joseph's Tomb, under armed guard

2009-10-12T09:27:00.001+02:00

WND Exclusive FROM WND'S JERUSALEM BUREAU

Security escorts worshippers at night through Muslim terrorist area
Posted: October 11, 2009
6:52 pm Eastern

Samuel Sokol
© 2009 WorldNetDaily http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=112642

SHECHEM, Israel – Hundreds of Jewish pilgrims last week made their way – under heavily armed guard – into the ancient city of Shechem, known to the Arabs as Nablus, to pray at the gravesite of the biblical figure Joseph.

The visit, which took place this past Wednesday, was timed to coincide with the fifth night of the holiday of Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles. During the weeklong holiday, Israelites are biblically enjoined to dwell in temporary huts in commemoration of their exodus from Egypt and 40 subsequent years living in the wilderness. According to Jewish tradition, seven biblical figures, known as the Ushpizin, come to visit those observing the holiday, with Joseph arriving on the fifth night – the night of the pilgrims' visit.

Groups of pilgrims come monthly, escorted by Israeli security forces in heavily armored, bulletproof busses. According to the Oslo Accords, the Palestinian Authority is required to grant Jews free access to the site.

In 2000, however, after years of repeated attacks on worshippers, and attempts by Fatah terrorists to take over the tomb, then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak ordered a withdrawal and surrendered the holy site to the PA.

After the withdrawal, Arabs burned Joseph's Tomb, destroying the adjacent Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva complex and smashing the dome above the gravesite.

Currently, visits must be coordinated with the army, which secures the area by imposing a curfew and escorts busses of pilgrims to the shattered structure. Shechem is the main stronghold of the Al Aqsa Martys Brigades, the declared military wing of the Palestinian Authority. The Brigades took responsibility for every suicide bombing in Israel in 2005, 2006 and 2007 and is behind a large volume of deadly shootings and rocket attacks.

Only three busses are allowed to the tomb area at a time. Due to the volume of worshippers, the army escorts people into the tomb in shifts.

Members of the Samaria municipal council set up a Sukkah booth next to the tomb, serving refreshments for those who came to pray. In the courtyard of what was once the yeshiva, several meters away from the tomb itself, a musician played traditional Jewish melodies while a mix of worshippers, from black-coated Hassidim to casually dressed teenagers, danced together in a circle, singing holiday songs.

David Ha'ivri, spokesperson for the Samaria Liason Office, commented to WND about the pilgrimage:

"On the one hand, we're very glad that we have the opportunity to visit Joseph's tomb about once a month. We are very grateful to the IDF command for facilitating this visit, and, as we can see, thousands of people from around the country are eager to take part in the prayers at Joseph's Tomb," he said.

"On the other hand, the situation is still very disgraceful," he continued. "Joseph's Tomb is standing in its ruins. It has been terribly desecrated by the Arabs in Shechem. We need to cause a situation where we can renovate and show our honor to Joseph, to God and to the Jewish people. We must reclaim Joseph's Tomb for the Jewish people in order to re-establish the yeshiva, and open up Joseph's Tomb to Jewish visitors at any time during the day, throughout the week."

In November 2007, Gershon Mesika was elected mayor of the Samaria regional council and immediately petitioned the local military command to allow him and his staff to visit Joseph's Tomb in order to hold a special thanksgiving prayer session. Afterwards, Mesika negotiated with the army to allow for monthly pilgrimages to the tomb. Every month, thousands of people rush to register for one of several hundred highly prized seats on specially chartered busses.

This was a welcome change for the Jewish community, after seven years without access to the holy site.

Meskika commented that while almost a thousand people came to Joseph's Tomb over the holiday, thousands more would certainly come were the IDF to permit it. The mayor decried that fact that Jews are forced to visit one of their holiest sites like "thieves in the night."

Currently, the IDF only allows pilgrims access to the site after dark when the area is easier to secure. The route leading to the tomb complex is lined with PA flags and posters of terrorists belonging to the Arab militias that operate in the area.

Mesika quoted an ancient tradition that states that Joseph's Tomb "is one of the three places where the non-Jews cannot deceive the Jewish people by saying that they stole it from them," due to it being recorded in Scripture that the area was purchased by the Jewish people.

The PA has claimed that Joseph's Tomb is in fact not a Jewish shrine, but rather the burial place of a Muslim Sheikh. The PA, however, has a history of denying the historical connections between Israelis and holy sites.

Former Knesset member Rabbi Yaakov Yosef attended the festivities at the tomb. As he led prayers, people crowded around him jostling to snap pictures. He commented on the significance of visiting Joseph's Tomb on the night in which Joseph is said to visit the Sukkot of Jews all over the world.

"We remind ourselves of Joseph, not just in theory when we invite him into our Sukkot, but we visit him in his place so that [the merit] of Joseph the righteous will guard over all of Israel," he said.

When asked if he believed that Jews would soon be able to visit the tomb during the day, Yosef responded, "We hope that today the messiah will arrive and redeem us, and we will arrive here during the day as we once did, without fear."

CNN report on support rally at Revava on Sukkot

2009-10-11T17:51:00.000+02:00

Simchat Torah 2nd Hakafot at Yakir 2009

2009-10-11T09:34:00.001+02:00

report from Ha'Aretz - Sukkot tours

2009-10-10T18:31:00.001+02:00

3,000 Likud faithful converge on W. Bank
By Chaim Levinson
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1119617.html

Some 3,000 Likud members converged on Samaria National Park in the northern West Bank yesterday in a demonstration of Israeli sovereignty in the region.

"We're demonstrating our ownership of the place and we'll rule here once again," Hagai Grinberg, from Netanya, said.

The Likud members also had a message for U.S. President Barack Obama.

"Obama, keep your hands off the land of Israel," said Samaria Regional Council head Gershon Mesika. He spoke at a support rally in the nearby settlement of Revava later in the day, where the visitors were joined by Moshe Feiglin and Information and Diaspora Minister Yuli Edelstein.

MK Danny Danon, who organized the trip "to strengthen Israel's hold" in the West Bank, said in an interview to CNN, "I want to tell Obama we know there's no partner and your pressure is harmful to the Jewish people ... this isn't Hollywood. You can't invent a partner. We have to do what's good for the Jewish people in its country."

The Likud members came in 70 buses from all over the country to the park, located some 12 kilometers north of Nablus, near the Arab village of Sebastia.

Some 10,000 visitors, including the Likudniks, toured the remains of Samaria, the capital of the kingdom of Israel during the 9th-8th centuries B.C.E. The site, which is usually closed, is run down, the road to it is in disrepair and many of the antiquities have been stolen, said Mesika.

"The hold on Jerusalem begins here," said MK Tzipi Hotoveli, who brought her mother and grandfather on the trip. "We will demand of the prime minister to continue the construction in the West Bank."

Danon, also World Likud chairman, spoke to a group of visitors from abroad in Revava.

"It's clear to me that if the (construction) policy is changed, instead of 1,000 people there would be 5,000 in this settlement," he told them.

REZ guests visiting the Shomron

2009-10-09T16:01:00.001+02:00

70 buses to support Jewish communities in Shomron

2009-10-08T14:06:00.001+02:00

Thousands Rally to Stop Likud's 'Dangerous Slide to the Left'

by Maayana Miskin
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/133749

(IsraelNN.com) Thousands of Likud members converged on the Samaria town of Revava on Wednesday in a show of support for the region's Jewish residents. “We came to tell the residents of Judea and Samaria, 'We love you, we are proud of you,'” said organizer MK Danny Danon. Other organizers estimated the number of citizens who reached Revava at 3,500, and said a total of 10,000 people had participated in this and other solidarity events in Judea and Samaria.

The central event began on Wednesday morning, when approximately 70 buses carried Likud members from Israel and around the world to various sites in Samaria, allowing them to gain familiarity with the area and show support for local Jews.

Likud members in Revava

The gathering was larger than in previous such similar events. “There is growing awareness of the Likud leadership's dangerous slide to the political left,” Danon explained. Recent decisions made by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, such as the agreement to freeze construction in Jewish towns in Judea and Samaria, “go against the very DNA of the Likud party,” he said.

Despite his criticism, Danon expressed support for Netanyahu. “We, members of Likud, say to the prime minister: You have total support from the members of your party. Total support to be faithful to Likud's traditional values, full support to safeguard Jerusalem, to build in Judea and Samaria, and not to give in under pressure,” he said.

Several other senior Likud party officials were among those present. Minister of Diaspora Affairs Yuli Edelstein was there, as was the Deputy Minister in Charge of the Development of the Negev and Galilee Ayoub Kara. Members of Knesset Tzipi Hotobeli, Miri Regev, and Tzion Pinyan attended the rally as well.

Likud politicians address the crowd

Another well-known Likud member, Jewish Leadership faction head Moshe Feiglin, sat up front alongside the Likud MKs and ministers. Feiglin's increasing power within the Likud party has not been welcomed by Netanyahu and other members of the senior party leadership.

'Freezing Construction – Like Going Without Air'
Dr. Yitzchak Ben-Gad, Israel's former Consul General to Florida, said Israel simply cannot freeze building in Judea and Samaria. “We cannot freeze the lives of 300,000 Jews, just as it is impossible to stop breathing,” he explained.

In Judea and Samaria, like elsewhere in Israel, couples are marrying and children are being born daily, Ben-Gad continued. Growth and construction is necessary to meet their basic needs and allow normal life to continue, he stated.

'An Important Step'
David Ha'Ivri, director of the Shomron Liaison Office, said “It's a pleasure to see the the first fruits of our ongoing campaign to expose the beauties of the Shomron to our brothers and sisters who don't have the opportunity to be here in their day-to-day life. Thousands of guests toured the region today visited our communities to show their support for our right to expand and freely build homes and also hiked though scenic landscapes in nature reserves and historic archaeological parks at the ancient capital of Sebastia.”

Meeting Samaria's Jews

“Today's event is a important stepping stone towards opening up this area for regular internal and foreign tourism,” Haivri said.

The leadership of Judea and Samaria's Jews launched an advertising campaign last year under the heading, “Judea and Samaria: Every Jew's Story,” in an attempt to encourage Jews to gain familiarity with Judea and Samaria, to visit the region and meet its residents. The turnout at Wednesday's events could be seen as a vindication of that investment.

Kfar Tapuach Moms Event

2009-10-06T14:58:00.002+02:00

A morning out for women in the area to enjoy some religious lectures between the Jewish New Year and the Day of Atonement. This is an event which Kfar Tapuack begn aabout 3 years ago and has been making it a yearly affair with attendance growing each year. There were 3 different lectures this year, the third beign more of a presentation of a woman's personal story of how she lives with and is striving to over come a major challenge in her life.
A truly memorable event for all.

NY Assemblyman Dov Hikind to Lead Mission to Judea & Samaria

2009-10-05T06:44:00.001+02:00

“NO JEWS ALLOWED.” “JEWS NOT WELCOME.” Berlin, Germany, 1938? Selma, Alabama, 1958? Think again. How about Jerusalem, 2010? Think it can’t happen? Think again. If the current U.S. administration has its way, we may very well see these signs in the not so distant future.

Dear Friend,

I am writing to you about a mission I am planning that may well change the landscape of the Jewish homeland. I know how close Israel is to your heart, and how difficult it is to hear of the extreme pressure the Israeli government is facing to make concessions.

I always had reservations regarding Barack Obama’s attitude toward Israel. While I did not support his candidacy, almost 75% of Jewish voters did. With his charm and charisma flowing, he stepped back from his earlier policies and won over the hearts of Jewish constituents with his promise of his solid, unwavering commitment to the State of Israel. Where is that commitment now? The Obama administration is now taking a more assertive and dramatic approach to its long-time ally. Israel is being pushed hard into making difficult decisions and concessions.

At this pivotal moment in Israeli history, we must do all that is in our power to ensure the strength and security of the Jewish state. We have an important task before us: to show our support for the 300,000 Jews living in Yehuda and Shomron, as well as the 300,000 Jews living in so-called East Jerusalem. Our goal is to send a message to Washington that Jews have the right to live in any part of Eretz Yisroel. More importantly, it will give chizuk to our brethren in Jerusalem, Yehuda and Shomron.

How can a young family in Ariel be told that they cannot add an extra bedroom to the home they have lived in for 12 years? How can Jews be told that they will no longer be entitled to build a single home in the Jewish sections of Jerusalem and even adjacent areas like Ma’aleh Adumin? We must not remain silent!

Beginning Saturday evening, November 14th and returning November 18th, we will spend four days and three nights in Yehuda, Shomron and Jerusalem. Meeting intriguing speakers, government officials and visiting fascinating places, the mission promises to be memorable.

I hope that this will be the first of many missions. The cost of the trip is $1350, all inclusive. As you can imagine, there are many expenses related to this mission. We need your support to make it successful. If you would like to join us or require further information, please contact Dov Cohen at my office at: 718-853-9616. If you cannot participate but would like to contribute, checks should be made out to: United Jerusalem 48. I look forward to sharing this momentous experience with you.

Sincerely yours,
Dov Hikind

Join Assemblyman Dov Hikind on a Solidarity Mission to

Yehuda and Shomron

November 14-18, 2009

Assemblyman Dov Hikind is proud to announce a chizuk mission to Israel, November 14-18, 2009.

Show support for the 300,000 Jews living in Yehuda & Shomron as well as the 300,000 Jews living in so-called East Jerusalem. Help give chizuk to our brethren and send a message to Washington that Jews have the right to live in any part of Eretz Yisroel.

Spend two days touring threatened communities in Yehuda and Shomron including: Itamar, Har Bracha, Alon Moreh, Yithar, Kedumim, Shilo, Beit El, Gush Etzion and others. Spend the final day in Jerusalem and the surrounding.

We will begin our trip from JFK on November 14th, arriving at Ben Gurion, Israel at approximately 5 PM, November 15th. From there we will travel to our hotel in Ariel, which will be our base for the first two days. Our final night and day will be in Jerusalem, where we will spend the day touring the old city and the surrounding areas with Ateret Cohanim.

The cost of the trip is $1,350 all inclusive, and promises to be an extraordinary, memorable experience. This low price includes airfare, hotels, meals, tour busing, etc. Help ensure the strength and security of the Jewish State.

For more information or to make reservations, contact Dov Cohen @718-853-9616, or email UnitedJerusalem48@gmail.com.

Video clip invation to visit Havat Gilad on Sukkot

2009-10-05T00:00:00.000+02:00

Sukkoth at Hermesh

2009-10-04T12:41:00.005+02:00

Preparing for the Succos holiday - decorating the main succah for the Yehsuv Hermesh

“Following the tracks of our forefathers through the Biblical Heartland”

2009-09-28T22:40:00.001+02:00

SUCCOT SPECIAL!

JOIN A PRIVATE ENGLISH GUIDED

TOUR OF SHOMRON

“Following the tracks of our forefathers through the Biblical Heartland”

* With professional Shomron Guide plus Rabbi

Highlights of our Chol HaMoed full day tours:

SUNDAY 4TH – Special guided tour of Neot Kedumim Biblical Landscape Reserve featuring a review of the symbolic Message of Succot, Succot celebrations 150 Shekel

TUESDAY 6TH – Mt Eval – Joshua’s altar (under military guidance) – SPECIAL! 150 Shekel

WEDNESDAY 7th – Sebastia. Ancient capital (SPECIAL once a year opportunity!) 150 Shekel

Friday 9th – Wadi Kana, special picnic spot & swimming 50 Shekel

SUNDAY 11th – Shiloh, Bethel, Wineries, Olive Press 100 Shekel

* The tours include visiting the settlements and the settlers in the wider Shomron areas
* Select one or more days as you prefer

Phone to book: 052 7474834

One Israel Fund Hol HaMoed Tuesday's Day Trip

2009-09-28T21:59:00.002+02:00

Click image to see full size

JOIN US ON A UNIQUE FUN-FILLED DAY OF ACTIVITIES FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY

CHOL HAMOED SUCCOT

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6th 2009

ACTIVITIES INCLUDED:

Weaving and Spinning wool -experimenting with different kinds of primitive looms

Basketry - Palm branch and Lulav basketry

Pottery - oil lamps and miniature storage jars

Music workshops - wind chimes from bamboo, bangles, and flutes with musical processions to the place of the mishkan

The Ancient Kitchen: Herbs and food preservation - Olives, Raisin drying, Zaatar, Tehina, Henna, Pittot

Archaeology – Sifting archaeological rubble for artifacts, Ancient Hebrew Script, Mosaic workshop, Ancient coin replicas

Jeep and Bicycle Tours

Nature Hikes in the Shilo region

A Fruit and Vegetable Stand selling fresh produce

Food stand selling old style shwarma and Lafa, maybe hummous…

The Tabernacle Café/Gift shop for coffee and refreshments

Workshops adapted to all ages

Buses departing from central points in Jerusalem

For more information of to make reservations please call 516-299-8709 or 054-721-4496.

To make reservations email Deborah@oneisraelfund.org

A “Wine, Cheese, and Water Tour” of the Magnificent Shomron

2009-09-27T15:55:00.000+02:00

World Likud
Cordially Invites You to Attend
A “Wine, Cheese, and Water Tour” of the Magnificent Shomron

Elon Moreh
Yitzhar’s Organic Vineyards
Itamar’s Organic Farms
Har Kabir
Nachal Tirtza
Ma’ayan El Kabira

A Support Rally for the Citizens of Judea and Samaria (Participation open to all - NOT limited to Likud members!)

With World Likud Chairman, Member of Knesset Danny Danon
A salute to Yehuda and Shomron with the participation of public figures and delegations from Israel and abroad. (additional Likud MKs and Minister pending)

Wednesday, October 7th, Tishrei 7, Chol Hamoed Succot
Departure Location: Inbal Hotel, 3 Jabotinsky St.
Departure Time: 8AM sharp (Return: app. 7PM)
English speaking guide

For Further Information and to Register, Please Contact:
Jeff Daube Rachel Sarafraz 052-5380840 or 052-5381533 jdaube@zoa.org rae32190@aim.com

Cost: 25 NIS per person (ages 5 and up)
Space is limited so register as soon as possible.
Please bring water and food and suitable clothing for the day.

September 23rd 2009 WIG day trip to Hilltop Communities of benyamin and Shromron

2009-09-27T13:16:00.003+02:00

Zionism and Pioneering on the Hills of Judea and Samaria

by Nadia Matar and Yehudit Katzover

"Lofty spirits," "elation," "joy," "inspiration," and "strengthening" were only some of the words used by the participants in the chizuk tour to bring support and encouragement to the outposts in Benjamin and Samaria- to describe their feelings at the end of a full and emotional day organized by Women in Green.

A hundred people came to take part in the tour, from the Jerusalem area, Gush Etzion, Kiryat Arba-Hebron, and even from Tel Aviv and Kibbutz Shoval in the Negev. One bus was for Hebrew speakers, and a second bus, for the English speakers. The outstanding guide Aryeh Klein from Hebron left us all the wiser with the amazing information he gave us, as if he were a walking encyclopedia.

The first stop was at Bnei Adam, an outpost some 4 kilometers from the community of Adam in the desolate Benjamin hills, between Nahal Prat and Nahal Michmash, that looks out at Maaleh Edumim, to the south, and to all of Samaria, to the north. Young couples who live under harsh conditions (in tents, karavanim [mobile housing units], and even in a bus) joyfully received us, and gave us all an instructive lesson in pioneering and the love of Eretz Israel. The destruction of three caravans about a month ago by the government of Israel, with the cooperation of Amanah, did not weaken them. Two families remained at the site, and are organizing to rebuild their homes.The third family will come back soon.

From there we traveled north on Route 60. At Har Bracha we turned right, passed by the Samaritans, and arrived at Mitzpeh Yosef, an outlook with a view of the entire city of Shechem, and a clear view of Joseph's Tomb. Words cannot describe the emotions we all felt. To see the place where Abraham heard from the Holy One, blessed be He, (in Genesis 13:15): "for I give all the land that you see to you and your offspring forever"; to feel the thousands of years of Jewish history at that very place; to be angry at its temporary occupation by the Arabs; and to gain strength from Joseph, who - despite being alone among the Arab enemy - broadcasts determination, power, and tremendous devotion to Eretz Israel. This was simply an experience of exalted spirits fitting for the Ten Days of Repentance, that just strengthened our understanding that we must greatly intensify the struggle for the Land.

At Mitzpeh Yosef we met Hayyim Parag, who showed us plans for the construction of a magnificent tourism observation point at the site, for the thousands of tourists who, with G-d's help, will come to gaze upon Joseph's Tomb, until the day will come when, with G-d's help, we will be able to return to Shechem itself.

We stopped for lunch at the Ronen Farm, at the foot of Har Brachah.

On the way to the settlement of Haresha in the Talmonim bloc we stopped at the Gilad Farm. The Gilad Farm was established in response to the murder of Gilad Zer, may G-d avenge him. At present, tens of families live there. This Rosh Hashanah , Arabs threw Molotov cocktails at the settlement. The fire spread rapidly, and two caravans caught fire. One caravan burned to the ground, and the family couldn't save anything. Everything was burnt - clothes, photo albums, books, everything. The second caravan was severely damaged, and is no longer fit for habitation. This event can definitely be called a pogrom. But this Arab attack did not make the headlines in any of the press, except for our national rightwing newspapers.The Israeli media reported a single laconic sentence: "Arabs set fire to fields in the Samaria area, there were no casualties." Once again we see how the lives of Jews in Judea and Samaria are free for the taking. But, with G-d's help, the inhabitants of the Gilad Farm are strong. The community immediately organized, and with the help of friends and the Samaria Regional Council, funds are being raised to build new homes for the two families.

The high point of the tour was the community of Haresha, in western Benjamin. Haresha is located on a hilltop that affords a view of the entire coastal plain. Haderah, Tel Aviv, Ashdod, and Ashkelon are in the palm of one's hand, within reach. Anyone who still does not understand why it is forbidden to establish a Palestinian state, and for whom an ideological argument is not sufficient, has only to stand in Haresha in order to understand what would happen to all Gush Dan if, Heaven forbid, such a Palestinian state were to arise.

A fateful struggle is being waged now in Haresha. This battle gets no state media exposure, in the hope that Peace Now will succeed in carrying out its machinations. The community was established ten years ago, on state land, with government funding and encouragement. About forty families live there now. In 2005 the Peace Now extreme leftwing movement filed an appeal against eight stone structures in Haresha (and, likewise, against the settlement of Hayovel, near Eli). The left claimed that these structures are "illegal," but it is known that this is not true. The structures received all the permits, except for the final signature by the Defense Minister, who, for political reasons, refuses to sign any permit for any place in Judea and Samaria. The case has been dragging on for four years in the court, until three months ago, when the High Court of Justice decided to put an end to the matter. The High Court of Justice gave the state four months to give a precise date for the destruction of the structures. That is to say, within a month the bulldozers might come to raze the structures.

Our hearts were filled with pride, and we breathed a sigh of relief, when the representatives of the Haresha residents who spoke with us, made it clear that they were setting out on a stubborn and uncompromising struggle against the destruction decrees, without any political deals. They explained that they understand that the struggle is not over their private homes, but for the entire settlement enterprise in all of Judea and Samaria. Haresha is the first domino that Peace Now hopes to push down, with the help of the High Court of Justice and the silent consent of the government. We must stop the madness in Haresha. Their struggle is in conjunction with the struggle by the Regavim organization against Arab illegal construction, as they highlight the discrimination against Jews.

If, Heaven forbid, all these struggles are not successful in the political sphere, the inhabitants of Haresha promise to conduct a much more determined struggle than that in Amona, and they call upon the entire people of Israel to aid them. (A full report on Haresha and how to help them will be posted on our email list after Yom Kippur please G-d).

Without doubt, this was a full day in which we came to encourage, and came back encouraged.

We met the best of the proud Jews who, with their own hands, are continuing pioneering and Zionism, totally devoted to Eretz Israel.

In each place we distributed to the inhabitants the wall carpet designed by Ruth Matar with the verse from Isaiah 62:1: "For the sake of Zion I will not be silent, for the sake of Jerusalem I will not be still." And in truth, it is these Jews, who live under harsh conditions in the outposts, who are the defenders of Jerusalem, and of Zion, i.e. of all Eretz Israel.

We want to thank Elisheva Ginsberg and Michal Melamed for their assistance in organizing the tour.

Thank you to the guide Aryeh Klein for his excellent explanations. last but not least, thank you to Gemma Blech for her help in guiding the English bus and for taking such wonderful pictures that can be looked at by clicking on the following link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/gemmablech/September23rd2009WIGDayTripToHilltopCommunitiesOfBenyaminAndShromron#

With the blessing from Deuteronomy 11:24 of "Every spot on which your foot treads shall be yours,"

Nadia Matar and Yehudit Katzover

Havat Gil’ad Fire Appeal

2009-09-23T16:41:00.000+03:00

Shalom u’vracha, with blessings for the new year,

This past Sunday (23rd September) on the second day of Rash HaShanah, the residents of Havat Gil’ad (Gil’ad’s Farm) were the victims of a terrifying, near-fatal arson attack by Arabs from a nearby village. The attack seriously damaged the fields in the area but, much more seriously, completely consumed the homes of two families, as well as causing significant damage to several others, and cutting off electricity to the community.

In addition, at least six people were hospitalised as a result of this brutal act of terrorism, most of them suffering from smoke inhalation. It is only due to God’s infinite mercy that no one was killed in this fire, which was certainly started with the intent to take lives.

Today, two families with several young children between them begin the new year homeless, with barely a penny to their name.

The sheer cost of the damage caused is staggering, adding up to hundreds of thousands of shekels for each of the two families, as well as several thousand more to repair damage to other houses effected, and 20,000 shekels just to fix the electricity of the community. The residents simply do not have the money to cover it all. They need your help.

These families have lost not only their homes, but all of their worldly possessions as well. Everything from kitchen appliances, furniture, holy books, tefillin, mezuzot, air conditioning and heating units, computers, beds, baby-cribs and even their very clothing – all of it has gone up in smoke. To compound the tragedy, one of the women also lost her wedding ring as a result of the fire, and the same family also had much of their savings – which were stored in cash in their caravan – reduced to ashes.

Please help these families to piece their lives back together. Please give their children a place to sleep. Our Holy Sages of blessed memory taught us that “repentance, prayers and charity avert the evil decree” (from the Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur prayers). During this crucial time leading up to Yom Kippur, let us turn our attention and open our hearts to our brethren in need.

Our brothers and sisters have turned to us – who’s lives are still, thank God, intact, and who still have a roof over our heads – to give what we can, for their sakes, for the sake of their children, and for the sake of the entire Nation of Israel during these difficult times.

Donations can be sent to:

Lev El Lev

POB 184

Revava D.N. Efraim 44839

Israel

Please give whatever you can, in the spirit of this week leading up to Yom Kippur, and may God answer your prayers and the prayers of our brothers and sisters in Havat Gil’ad, as well as the prayers of all of Israel.

גמר חתימה טובה לכלם

Women's event at Kfar Tapuach

2009-09-23T16:36:00.002+03:00

400 moms from Shomron communities gathered for a special day of learning at the Nama ranch at Kfar Tapuach.

Shanna tova message

2009-09-21T03:30:00.000+03:00

Traffic accident between Shilo and Eli 21.9.09

2009-09-21T03:27:00.001+03:00

Arson attack at Jewish community Havat Gilad in Shomron

2009-09-21T03:17:00.001+03:00

Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009. The second and final day of the Jewish new year of Rosh Hashana, Arab infiltrators burned two homes to the ground in the village of Havat Gilad. The town’s infrastructure was also badly damaged, with many homes without electricity and sewage systems destroyed.

At one pm, when the men of the community were gathered together in synagogue, a fire was spotted in a field bordering the community and moving quickly in the direction of their homes. Despite efforts by local residents to quell the blaze, two homes were destroyed.

Noam and Batya Bryoer and their three small children, watched helplessly as their wooden house went up in flames, containing all of their worldly possessions, as did Itay and Hila Cohen, the owners of the second house.

After hours of work in the smoke and flames six members of the community were taken for medical treatment for smoke inhalation sustained while attempting to extinguish the inferno.

The Israeli Defense Forces arrested four suspects, all Arab residents of a nearby village, who were then handed over to the police for questioning.

The fire department investigation has determined that the blaze was intentional and constitutes arson.

The main water and sewage lines in the community were destroyed. Significant damage was also done to the electrical grid, with half the community without electricty. The damage is estimated to be over a half a million shekels [$150,000].

Immediately after the end of the Rosh Hashana holiday, Shomron Regional Council head Gershom Mesika arrived on the scene and condemned the attack as an “act of terrorism”. Mesika called on the IDF to “protect the community of Havat Gilad and punish the terrorists.”

Around the world supporters have pledged to donate money to an emergency fund that has been establishing to supply the money needed to rebuild the destroyed homes and to supply the two families with clothing and furniture to replace their possessions destroyed in the fire.

Today the Havat Gilad is home to twenty five families. Located near Kedumim. It was established by Moshe Zar on his own land in memory of his son Gilad, who was murdered by Arabs in May of 2001. Gilad was the civilian security chief of the Samaria regional council, tasked with coordinating security with the IDF and protecting local residents.
Havat Gilad has been targeted in the past. Previously, two members of Rabbis for Human Rights were caught setting fire to nearby fields.

Memebers of the community have vowed not to give in to Arab terrorism, they will rebuild the homes that were destroyed and continue to develop their community.

Building a new home in Kfar Tapuach

2009-09-11T16:38:00.002+03:00

Three volunteers, Moshe, Yehuda Moskowitz and their friend Moshe Chaim spend the week with David Bloch in Kfar Tapuach building a new home for the Bloch-Kahane family who adopted the 6 orphans of rabbi Binyamin and Talya Kahane hy"d. The Kahanes' were killed by Arab terrorists in Dec. 2000 in a roadside ambush. Since the tragedy nearly 10 years ago the Bloch family has also expanded and now they have 6 of their our children. The house that they have been living in is just not large enough to acomadate the couple and their 12 children. The father David Bloch is actually building the family's new home with his own two hands and with help of Jewish labour only. This week he was glad for the extra help from the three hard working boys who came to give him a hand.

Soul matters radio show with Rabbi Shimshon Nadel

2009-09-08T21:48:00.002+03:00

Rabbi Shimshon Nadel speaks with guests about the wines of Israel. 30 minutes into the show he interviews David Ha'ivri who talks about the Tura estate winery run by Erez and Vered Saadon at Rechelim in the Shomron.

(IsraelNN.com) Tura Estate wines, grown at Har Bracha and produced at Rechelim in Samaria, have been exported to the United States for the first time. The winery's cabernet sauvignon and merlot wines, a blend of the two varieties and a port from 2005 will take part in an exclusive wine tasting reception in New York City on Wednesday.

The Kosher Wine Society and the Soho Center for Jewish Life are hosting what they call "New Wines for the New Year" at the center, located at 83 Spring Street, from 7:00 to 9:30 pm. The event will feature kosher wines from around the world, in addition to Rosh Hashanah treats.

Advance registration is available for $36 at the society's website http://kosherwinesociety.com/alacartman.php or by calling 917-414-5468. The price at the door is $50.

Etz Efriem end of summer.

2009-09-08T12:02:00.001+03:00

A Warm Summer in Etz Ephraim

There were many events in Etz Ephraim this past summer. They started with the event that opened the summer school holidays for the children which included both wet and dry inflated play areas, free cotton candy, music, food stands and stalls selling other various items.

Many people arrived some of the other near-by yeshuvim such as Elkana and Sha’arei Tikvah.

For the adults, the festivities were opened with an evening of singing for all in the yeshuv’s main park, which was transformed into a true event hall. The evening opened with a singer performing some of the best of the songs of Israel and had people standing on their feet and breaking into accompanying song and dance themselves. People enjoyed themselves the whole evening. Refreshments included pizza, falafel, watermelon, beer, and soft drinks, and there was no lack of food and drink.

We invited the military unit stationed nearby so that they, too, should enjoy the abundance of food and drink and good will.

And we included pictures here because there is nothing like seeing it with your own eyes.

After we started the summer in such a wonderful way we made sure that everyone continued to enjoy themselves for the rest of the summer in the same spirit…

During the summer holidays, we showed a film every week in the new clubhouse and afterwards, every week the children received a treat, either a popsicle or a falafel or a sandwich on a pita. The children enjoyed the treats and the parents enjoyed their treat of having to only showering the children and putting them to bed! Of course, there were a number of shows for the children, cooking days, sports days, and other various and varied activities for the children and all of the residents.

Slichot at Joseph's tomb Sept. 2009

2009-09-07T21:13:00.000+03:00

Last night a thousand Jewish worshipers were allowed access to Joseph's tomb in Shechem.

Frist day at school

2009-09-01T17:19:00.000+03:00

Barak-Bibi Building Freeze Puts Chill on Yesha Schools
Elul 12, 5769, 01 September 09 11:16
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
(Israelnationalnews.com)

The government building freeze in Judea and Samaria forced thousands of children to start the school year Tuesday morning in makeshift buildings. Defense Minister Ehud Barak has not signed papers for new schools despite approval from the Education Ministry.

[weJew:5917]

“The government is discriminating between children elsewhere in Israel and those in Judea and Samaria,” said Yochai Dimri, director of education in the Shomron Regional Council. “The Defense Ministry is creating obstacles even though the law requires that students be provided with reasonable buildings.”

Dimri said that Defense Minister Barak, on the day before schools opened, gave the regional council permission to place four temporary “caravans” (mobile homes without wheels), but that 10 others are on the waiting list. He pointed out it will take several weeks before the four temporary buildings can be hooked up to the town infrastructure and repaired for use.

The Netanyahu government’s building freeze, imposed under pressure from the American government, means that thousands of schoolchildren in dozens of caravans are without a proper school, Dimri said. “The students are not in one building, creating problems for discipline during recess, and the caravans do not provide proper classroom space for learning,” he explained.

Children are learning in eight caravans in the community of Yakir, in northern Samaria, 12 caravans in Shaarei Tikva, slightly east of the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, five caravans in Elon Moreh in northern Samaria, and another two in Tel Menashe.

“There is nothing to talk about concerning requests for permanent buildings,” Dimri added. He explained that bureaucratic process for permission to place a structure in Judea and Samaria requires three steps at different agencies, and each step requires additional approval from the Defense Ministry.

In the town of Tekoa in eastern Gush Etzion, southeast of Jerusalem, regional council education official Yitzchak Bar-Osher said Tuesday that it took him six weeks to obtain permission from Defense Minister Barak to allow two caravans for schoolchildren.

In the community of Tena-Omarim in the southern Hevron Hills, the regional council obtained all of the necessary approvals for one temporary structure, but Barak has refused to give the final okay.

A similar situation in Elon Moreh resulted in two pre-fabricated structures being put into place after most of the approvals had been secured, but the Civil Lands Administration removed the structures because Barak’s signature was lacking.

Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau, visiting the Yakir school in northern Samaria, accused the Defense Ministry of systematic discrimination and harassment. "It is an apparent that there are efforts to make life difficult for [Jews] in Samaria,” he said. “A civilized and cultured state which is concerned with human rights cannot accept this freeze."

Samaria Council chairman Gershon Mesika, who accompanied Landau on the tour, demanded that the government "remove the students from political gains."

Opening the School year in Yakir elementary school

2009-09-01T17:07:00.000+03:00

Key Yesha Leader Boycotts ‘Farcical’ Meeting with ‘King’ Barak

2009-08-31T19:28:00.000+03:00

Elul 11, 5769, 31 August 09 04:12
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/133192

Gershon Mesika, chairman of the Shomron Regional Council in Samaria, lashed out at a Monday afternoon meeting of the Council of Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria with Defense Minister Ehud Barak. Mesika also verbally attacked Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, accusing him of "hiding behind Barak as he kneels to American pressure [while] Ehud Barak is hiding behind weak excuses of upholding law and order.”

The unusual boycott and harsh language came on the heels of the Defense Minister’s signing of new demolition orders, this time targeting 15 families at Havat Gilad, located on privately owned Jewish land near Kedumim, and a hilltop community near Yitzhar.

"This is a political farce - the cards have been stacked ahead of this game,” Mesika asserted. “This is not about legality of the outposts. Barak's right hand has been evading proper procedure and for years has refused to sign legal building permits because of his political views, and now his left hand wishes to destroy those same communities that he calls illegal because he himself did not approve them."

Shomron Liaison Office director David HaIvri director labeled Barak as trying to be a king “Somebody needs to tell him that he had elections and his ilk no longer rule this country. We have had enough of the double standard; there are thousands of illegal buildings throughout the Arab sector on both sides of the Green Line, yet for some reason only Jewish homes are threatened by wrecking crews."

Mesika’s boycott coincides with a growing vocal opposition from within the coalition government of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s de facto freeze on building Jewish homes in Judea and Samaria.

Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Yaalon (Likud), a former IDF Chief of Staff, raised a political storm les than two weeks ago when he, Interior Minister Eli Yishai (Shas), Jewish Home chairman Prof.-Rabbi Daniel Hershkowitz and Information Minister Yuli Edelstein (Likud) toured hilltop communities. Mesika hosted the visitors.

Minister Yaalon said during the tour, which included the destroyed town of Homesh where nationalists have maintained a presence for two years, that the government should consider authorizing re-establishing the town.

Prime Minister Netanyahu summoned him for a face-to-face meeting after the media complained about his his remark that the Peace Now movement, which is spearheading court appeals for demolishing Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, is a “virus.” The minister explained that he was referring to the ideology of Peace Now and not to the organization itself.

The Age on Shomron

2009-08-31T18:50:00.001+03:00

Settler burden weighs on Israel

JASON KOUTSOUKIS, JERUSALEM

http://www.theage.com.au/world/settler-burden-weighs-on-israel-20090831-f59m.html
September 1, 2009

ON ITS website, the Shomron Liaison Office makes an earnest pitch for would-be settlers to join the movement.

''Have you heard about the growth of hilltop communities in Judea and Samaria?'' reads a flyer.

''Do you want to be part of the action? Become a pioneer and claim your stake in Jewish history.''

Promoting a six-day volunteer program at the outpost of El Matan that is home to about 11 families, the flyer promises room, board and other activities including building and planting.

Visitors to Samaria are also invited to show their ''appreciation for the dedicated pioneers of the Jewish communities'' by nominating their favourite outpost for a ''UN-Habitat prize for human settlement''.

Despite the international clamour over settlements in the West Bank, there seems to be no shortage of ideologically motivated Israelis and new immigrants aspiring to make a home there.

According to the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, the settler population in the West Bank rose 5 per cent last year to 289,600 people, compared with population growth of 1.8 per cent in Israel last year.

Built on land occupied by Israel after the 1967 Six-Day War but never officially annexed by the state, the settlements have become Israel's single most costly civil and military project in the 41 years since.

''It's very difficult to put an exact figure on what the settlements actually cost us each year,'' says Hagit Ofran, director of the Settlement Watch project of the Israeli Peace Now movement.

''There is the high cost of security, and then different budget allocations made each year by a range of government agencies and departments.

''We also argue that Israel pays a high price for the settlements in terms of the damage it does to society and our international standing.''

In annual terms, Peace Now estimates a headline figure of about 2.5 billion shekels ($A780 million) a year, spent by the State of Israel to maintain the settlements.

That includes $350 million transferred directly to local councils in the West Bank, or about 9 per cent of the total Ministry of Finance payments to Israeli councils on an annual basis, even though the settler population only amounts to 3.8 per cent of the Israeli population.

''Therefore, we estimate that the settlements get double the budget allocations of other councils,'' says Ms Ofran.

Other costs include infrastructure, road upgrades, subsidised public transport, agriculture subsidies and the deployment of about 10,000 troops from the Israel Defence Forces' West Bank division to maintain security.

West Bank settlers in designated preferred areas are also entitled to a range of economic benefits not available to ordinary Israelis, such as subsidised housing loans and a 70 per cent discount on the price of land.

New factories in the West Bank are exempt from company tax for their first two years and receive a generous tax discount for the next five years.

These figures do not include the $4 billion set aside for the construction of the 790-kilometre Separation Wall that divides Israel and some of the larger settlement blocks from Palestinian land.

But while the price of maintaining the settlements is significant, the single biggest cost to Israeli taxpayers will come when a Palestinian state is finally established.

With the most likely boundaries for a future Palestinian state to encompass all of the land east of the Separation Wall, Israel would have to evacuate up to 80,000 Jewish settlers.

Based on the per capita outlay of withdrawing 8000 settlers from the Gaza Strip in 2005, Israeli human rights group The Adva Centre estimates that the price tag for such a move will be up to $30 billion.

'Most Ethiopians in State Religious Schools'

2009-08-30T17:03:00.000+03:00

Elul 10, 5769, 30 August 09 02:08

by Hana Levi Julian
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/133171

(Israelnationalnews.com) National religious leaders are expressing anger in response to reports that Ethiopian immigrants have suffered discrimination in their schools.

Shomron (Samaria) Regional Council head Gershon Mesika slammed what he called a media campaign against the national religious public, saying it is aimed at destroying the religious school system.

Mesika added that far-left elements are behind much of the incitement. The Yesha leader noted pointedly that he offered on Friday to accept Ethiopian students into Shomron schools instead.

While Israeli media outlets have given the impression that religious schools have been denying access to Ethiopian students, most Ethiopian children in Israel in fact attend state religious schools. Unlike some of their private hareidi-religious counterparts, state religious schools receive government funding and are able to provide certain support services that others are not, although this does not apply to every hareidi-religious institution.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu vowed Sunday morning to ensure that all Ethiopian children would have a school to attend in September, and would back Education Ministery Gideon Saar's efforts to punish schools that chose to "discriminate" against them.

Several private hareidi-religious schools in Petach Tikvah have refused to accept Ethiopian immigrant students because they say the children are too far behind their Israeli peers to survive in the mainstream classroom, and the Education Ministry will not allow them to be placed in separate classes, insisting the practice constitutes racial discrimination.

The potency of a right - Haaretz - Israel News

2009-08-29T23:23:00.000+03:00

The potency of a right - Haaretz - Israel News
By Nadav Shragai
One can continue waging the argument with the United States over settlements by citing mathematical figures, numbers and formulas on natural growth or natural development, and perhaps doing so is the correct thing, but whoever believes that settling the territories of Judea and Samaria is the actualization of a natural right and historical justice cannot be content with simply stating these figures.

Perhaps one can continue to bombard George Mitchell with numbers; to inform him that the settlers constitute 17 percent of the residents of Judea and Samaria (300,000 out of a total population of 1.8 million people); that the built-up areas in the settlements occupy just 1.7 percent of the land area of Judea and Samaria; and that if the settlers continue to build solely at the rate of their natural growth (9,000 births per year), they will only need a small fraction of the area to do so (0.054 percent of the territory).

Perhaps it's possible to persuade Mitchell and his boss, President Barack Obama, that over the next decade the settlers will consume just one-half of one percent for construction purposes in an area already delineated as "their municipal boundaries." But this math is just a minor argument between merchants. One might expect more national pride and a clearer, more lucid statement from a government that believes Judea and Samaria are inseparable parts of the historic homeland, and at the very least sees the "settlement blocs" as an inseparable part of the State of Israel in any final status accord. Perhaps a statement in the spirit of Simon Maccabaeus, who said: "We have neither taken other men's land, neither do we hold that which is other men's: but the inheritance of our fathers, which was for some time unjustly possessed by our enemies."
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Our friends in the United States, both real and imagined, need to hear from us that the historic, religious, legal and sentimental links that bind the people of Israel with Hebron and Beit El are no less legitimate than those of the Palestinians; that we are not occupiers in our own country and that there are Jews for whom this land is holy, just as it is holy to Palestinians - Jews whose connection to these pieces of land are bound by love, the Bible, tradition, nature and beauty.

Many years ago, a member of the British House of Lords asked Chaim Weizmann why the Jews insist on settling in the Land of Israel when there are so many undeveloped countries that could serve as a national home. Weizmann responded with a question: Why do you drive 200 kilometers every Sunday to visit your mother when there are so many old ladies living on your street?

This elementary truth in relation to all parts of the Land of Israel has not changed. From a moral standpoint, there is no difference between settling the Land of Israel at the beginning of the last century in areas where Arabs lived and settling the Land of Israel at the beginning of this century in areas where Arabs reside; no difference between settling the Galilee, the Negev and Petah Tikva - which Moshe Smilansky described generations ago as "a small Hebrew community among large Arab villages to the east, north and south" - and settling Judea and Samaria.

The real argument is about possible borders; it is certainly not about rights. This right must once again be raised with our friends in Washington, even if there are those, particularly in Israel, who will chafe at this claim because it is not within the realm of realpolitik.

This right, it should also be remembered, is not based on security concerns. Theoretically, a Jewish state could have arisen anywhere in the world, and perhaps we would have attained security elsewhere. In practice, the Jewish state was established specifically in the Land of Israel as a national home and a country of refuge on the strength of this right and the historic, national collective memory - a state that succeeded in gathering Jews from exile.

Whoever makes do with number-crunching and the petty settling of scores will sooner or later find himself in a battle over Jerusalem and a more truncated Israel, with which the Arabs of Israel and the entire region have yet to reconcile, to this day, as the state of the Jewish people.

Thus far, the preoccupation with numbers has not yielded benefits, and perhaps this is a positive development. Obama's U.S., which is not prepared to accept the minimum - construction to accommodate natural growth in settlements - is forcing the government of Israel to look in the mirror and to remember the strength of the right.

Nomination for free flight to Israel for the Nefesh B'Nefesh Jewish Blogger convention

2009-08-28T17:44:00.000+03:00

Our nomination for this contest is Rafael Rabinovich of the

בלוג למען שלימות העם התורה והארץ
Un blog por la integridad del pueblo judío, la tierra de Israel, y la Torá.
A blog for the integrity of the Jewish people, the land of Israel, and the Torah.

Located at:

http://rafvrab.blogspot.com/

We are nominating Rafael because he is as "Zionistic" as a Chabbadnik could be. Although he temporarily lives in Crown Heights reading the post of his fully bi-lingual Spanish/English blog it is oviuos that his heart and soul are in Eretz Yisrael and surely some time in the future he will be on a Nefesh B'Nefesh flight with his wife and family on their way to Israel to stay.

His bi-lingual blog is one of a kind and as so is a unique additional to virtual Jewish blogaphere.

Of course his posts about his trip and reporting on the Oleh family he will have added value to the cause being that they will be in both Spanish and English.

B'hatzlacha,

Marc Prowisor - Coming to your town soon

2009-08-28T14:52:00.000+03:00

Shalom to all,

This is not a general letter, it is being sent to those of you who have shown great dedication and caring for our people and land.

I will be making a trip to the US from Oct 19th till the 28th. My main focus on this trip will be to raise funds for various projects in the security field. I will be concentrating on Surveillance Systems for smaller communities, First Response Equipment and Emergency Medical Response.

What most have not heard or are not aware of how the security budget is being cut across the board throughout Judea and Samaria, to the extent that many communities have had their security apparatus compromised. You will understand if I do not get into details over e-mail. Due to these cuts, many basic services are in danger of being cut off, this must not be allowed to happen. We are fighting these cuts and making every effort not to loose these services, but we still have far to go.

The Security of Judea and Samaria is tied to every Jew in the world, the lack of security here will eventually make it to the rest of the Jewish populous all over the world, it is in our power to change that. Many of our own fail to comprehend the important role we play here at this point, they will.

The projects that One Israel Fund is working on in the security field are taking priority in our day to day lives here, and they not only save lives, but protect lives and support our continued presence in our land. I do not mean to preach to the choir, but it is time to act and increase our efforts. One only needs to read the newspapers to see the extreme efforts going on against our presence here, and the attempt of Ethnic Cleansing meant for Judea and Samaria by our "Partners for Peace".

So I turn to you all and ask that we do something about this. I would like to organize events or meetings in which funds may be raised in order to Gd willing complete more of these projects. It is important to get Synagogues involved also, this is important for all of us, it is our land. Please be in touch for more details, and Gd willing, lets make a difference now. Feel free to forward this to anyone who feels as you do.

Kol Tuv!

Marc Prowisor

Director, Security Projects
One Israel Fund
Office: 516 239 9202 x15
Cell: 972 54 2237727 (Israel)

Global: 856 393 4777
Fax: 516 239 9203
marcpro@oneisraelfund.org
www.oneisraelfund.org

Mesika: Close Down 'Peace Now'

2009-08-28T13:47:00.000+03:00

Elul 7, 5769, 27 August 09 05:27
by Hillel Fendel
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/133139

(Israelnationalnews.com) Shomron (Samaria) Regional Council chief Gershon Mesika calls on the government to outlaw Peace Now and other organizations that are funded by foreign governments. Peace Now is currently suing against 15 new homes in Kiryat Netafim.

“Organizations funded by foreign governments whose objective is to cause internal division in Israel should be closed down,” Mesika said last week, after a Peace Now tour of Samaria. Labor MK Daniel Ben-Simon participated in what Mesika called the Peace Now “provocation.”

Continuing its incessant campaign against Jewish presence in Yesha, Peace Now has submitted a court petition demanding a halt to construction of 15 homes in Kiryat Netafim. Peace Now claims that part of the land is privately owned by Arabs.

Founded in 1984, the religious-Zionist Kiryat Netafim is home to over 100 families. It is located in central Samaria, between Ariel and Elkanah, near Yakir, Revavah and Barkan.

“Peace Now has a very smart system,” a source close to Mesika told Israel National News. “They find a local Arab who can claim, however dubiously, that the land is his, then they file a stop-construction suit, and then the courts immediately say, ‘Stop work now, and we’ll investigate afterwards.’”

Mesika on the Attack
"This suit is a classic example of the lying and hypocrisy of Peace Now,” Mesika responded to the group's latest move. “The construction in question is in an area zoned for residence in the town's master plan that was written up 25 years ago. The houses are on town property and are not on Arab lands at all.”

Moving to the broader view, Mesika said, "This is our historic homeland, and we have every moral and legal right to live and grow here. If we can't live here in the Shomron, what right do we have to be in Tel Aviv?"
www.IsraelNationalNews.com
© Copyright IsraelNationalNews.com

Jewish youth the pride of our generation

2009-08-28T12:06:00.000+03:00

How do settlers avenge removal of outpost? They build another one

By Chaim Levinson, Haaretz Correspondent

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1110567.html

Settler youths from the West Bank enclave of Kochav Shachar erected a new outpost Thursday morning to protest the removal of three caravans from the outpost of Bnei Adam.

The new outpost near Kochav Shahar, a settlement that sits just northeast of the Palestinian town of Ramallah, was given the name "Ba'al Hatzor Hamizrach." Ba'al Hatzor is the highest mountain in the chain that runs through the spine of the West Bank.

The new outpost includes a wooden structure and a number of youths inhabiting a tent-like shack.

"The establishment of the outpost is a fitting response to the evacuation that was carried out overnight in Bnei Adam," Yonatan Rahamim, one of the founders of the outpost, said. "No evacuation will break us, and we will continue to answer this government of wickedness by erecting new settlements in the Land of Israel. Every evacuation is a shot of adrenaline for the building of new communities."

The evacuation of Bnei Adam was the result of heavy pressure applied by the Yesha council of West Bank settlements and a settler non-government organization.

Two weeks ago, the head of the Binyamin regional council, Avi Roeh, held negotiations with the outpost inhabitants over the voluntary removal of caravans that the Israel Defense Forces intended to demolish.

The compromise between the Yesha council and the outpost inhabitants drew criticism and accusations from dozens of settler youths.

Rabbi Haim Druckman, an influential religious leader among West Bank settlers, decreed that the inhabitants should abide by Roeh's instructions and evacuate the caravans in the coming days. In response to the rabbi's decree, posters condemning the rabbi were plastered all over the West Bank.

Huckabee's First 2012 Campaign Stop: Israel

2009-08-21T17:39:00.000+03:00

By Matthew Kalman / Har Bracha Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2009
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1917389,00.html

Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas, visits Israeli homes in the predominantly Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem

Jim Hollander / EPA

Har Bracha — the Mount of Blessing — is a windswept hilltop settlement of Jews overlooking the Palestinian city of Nablus. According to biblical tradition, it is where Joshua and the children of Israel first entered the Holy Land. And, on Aug. 18, Mike Huckabee — a Baptist preacher, two-time governor of Arkansas and once and perhaps future Republican presidential candidate — received a heartfelt blessing from the local Orthodox Jewish minister. Rabbi Eliezer Melamed prayed that Huckabee would become President so that he could emulate the ancient Persian king Cyrus the Great, who encouraged the Jews to rebuild Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. Said the rabbi: "We hope that under Mike Huckabee's presidency, he will be like Cyrus and push us to rebuild the temple and bring the final redemption."

"You have imposed upon me a rather significant role," Huckabee replied. "[To] train the Jewish people to love Israel. You're going to ask a Baptist to do that?" But speaking to TIME, he uttered words that would warm the hearts of Jewish settlers. "Do the Palestinians need a place to call their own?" he asked rhetorically. "If that's very important, then that should be accommodated. But can it be accommodated on the exact same property that Jews currently occupy? The answer is no, it can't. And so we can kid ourselves all day long and try to perpetuate this idea of having two governments running the same country, but it's not worked out and it's not realistic." (Read about the conflict between Israeli settlers and Palestinians.)

The three-day visit is Huckabee's 11th trip to Israel. The Arkansan, who is widely expected to seek the presidency again, in 2012, visited sites heavily weighted toward one side in the Middle East conflict: Israeli homes in predominantly Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements on the West Bank, including an outpost considered illegal even by the current Israeli government. He explored underground tunnels in the ancient city of King David, which are slowly being excavated from underneath the Palestinian village of Silwan in East Jerusalem; he also visited the place where Jacob dreamed of a ladder leading up to heaven, in the West Bank settlement of Beth-El, next to an Israeli military base on the outskirts of the Palestinian city of Ramallah. (Watch a video of Mike Huckabee's three-day visit to Israel.)

"It's inconceivable that we would ever understand how two sovereign governments would control the very same piece of real estate. We don't know how that would work," Huckabee said, elaborating on his opposition to the two-state solution. He compared the ban on Israeli settlements in Arab areas of East Jerusalem and the West Bank to segregation between black and white Americans in the deep South during his childhood. He called for "integration" between Israelis and Arabs. (See pictures of life in the West Bank settlements.)

The Obama Administration has been at odds with the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over settlement activity in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and Huckabee has used his trip to accuse Obama of zigzagging on pledges he made to Israel during the 2008 campaign. "Our primary concern ought to be whether or not Iran is weaponizing nuclear material, not whether 20 peaceful Jewish families happen to be moving into a neighborhood in their own country," he said.

As for his own ambitions, Huckabee remained coy, saying it was "just too early to determine" whether he will run in 2012. He said the vast amount of financing that is required to run risks limiting candidates to "the very rich." "I would have to know that my candidacy would be credible enough and likely lead to a victory; otherwise, I'm far better off doing what I'm doing, and probably will have a greater level of voice and influence on the process with radio and television." (Huckabee now hosts a television show on Fox.)

Huckabee was in Israel as a guest of the Jewish Reclamation Project of Ateret Cohanim, an Israeli educational foundation that aims to strengthen the Israeli presence in occupied East Jerusalem through the purchase of property for study centers and the families of students and teachers. Against bitter opposition from Palestinian groups and left-wing Israeli organizations, Ateret Cohanim has established yeshiva study institutes in the Muslim and Christian quarters of Jerusalem's Old City and encouraged housing projects for nearly 1,000 Jews in Arab neighborhoods where Jewish residents were forced to leave more than 60 years ago because of wars and unrest. The group boasts of its activities in "hot areas" of East Jerusalem. Its plans to develop 20 new Israeli homes were denounced last month by the Obama Administration. Huckabee told TIME that he purchased his own air ticket and was not a member of Ateret Cohanim. "I have no personal connection," he said. "I don't think they would let me in since I'm not Jewish." (See pictures of Huckabee on the campaign trail.)

Joseph D. Frager, a New York physician who is chairman of the Jerusalem Reclamation Project and on the board of Ateret Cohanim, said he organized the trip because he believes Huckabee "understands the Middle East probably better than most political leaders in America." Frager told TIME, "I compare Huckabee to Winston Churchill a lot, because Churchill was a fundamentalist Christian, [which] very [few] people realize. Huckabee has the same type of fundamentalist Christian background that enables him to understand the dynamics of the state of Israel, Judea and Samaria in particular, and of course, Jerusalem. Mike Huckabee represents the majority of Americans, fundamentalist Christians or not. The majority of Americans' views are a lot more closely aligned with Governor Huckabee than they are with President Obama."

But perhaps not with the views of all Israelis. Peace Now leader Yariv Oppenheimer was among several dozen protesters who greeted Huckabee on Aug. 17. "It's very easy to live in America and tell us to keep fighting the Palestinians," Oppenheimer told TIME. "We deeply believe that the two-state solution is an Israeli interest, and before someone from abroad comes to speak to us about taking over land and neglecting peace, he should remember that he is not the one who will have to fight in the army, stand at the checkpoints and continue to fight wars because there is no vision for peace in this country." (See pictures of the divided city of Jerusalem.)

Huckabee was certainly unwelcome in the eyes of Palestinians. Dimitri Diliani, a newly elected member of the Fatah Revolutionary Council, said the former governor was "stupid" and "un-American." "He is damaging to the official U.S. policy regarding illegal settlement activities in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem," Diliani told TIME. "He represents a petty politician looking for petty support from the American right, whose heydays are far behind us. Settlement activity is criminal in nature. In being the icing on the cake in the eyes of the fanatics in the Israeli settlement movement, he is an example of how low a politician will go to get an audience."

Ya'alon calls on state to drop 'illegal' qualifier from outposts

2009-08-21T17:32:00.000+03:00

By Chaim Levinson http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1108228.html
Vice Premier Moshe Ya'alon attacked the State Prosecution yesterday during a tour by four ministers of illegal West Bank outposts.

"I saw that the prosecution's responses to the High Court of Justice [on petitions against the outposts] do not reflect the government's position," he said while visiting the Havat Gilad outpost. "I hope this situation will be corrected."
Asked how this disconnect is possible, he replied, "it comes to the prosecution from the Defense Ministry, which is used to carrying out the previous government's policy."

"We need to eradicate the term 'illegal outposts,'" Ya'alon added. "These are communities that were established with the state's encouragement, yet the legal definition has made them illegal."

Interior Minister Eli Yishai, who was also on the tour, made similar comments.

"Every community that the government established and financed is legal," he said. "We have to speak the truth: It is impossible to say this is illegal."

"Honing" this message, he added, is the best way to combat a highly critical report on the outposts prepared a few years ago by government attorney Talia Sasson.

Both ministers were responding to settler complaints that whenever leftist organizations petition the High Court against an outpost, the prosecution replies that the outpost is indeed illegal and that demolition orders have been issued against it.

"With responses like that, the court isn't left with any room to decide," noted Pinchas Wallerstein, secretary general of the Yesha Council of settlements.

The settlers argued that instead, the state should say the outposts were in the middle of the approval process and would receive final approval soon. That, they said, would deter petitioners from even going to court, lest by so doing they actually hasten the approval process.

Ya'alon said he had discussed this issue with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who promised that Defense Minister Ehud Barak would look into it.

Associates of Barak responded that the minister's policy is to "uphold the law," both on the ground and in responses to the High Court.

The ministers also visited the ruins of Homesh, one of four northern West Bank settlements evacuated (along with the entire Gaza Strip) under the 2005 disengagement. There, Ya'alon gave a brief lecture on the strategic importance of the site, from which much of Israel is visible.

"There is no doubt that the disengagement gave a tailwind not only to terror, but also to jihadist Islam," he added. "The withdrawals strengthened the jihadists. We also saw from Fatah's convention [earlier this month] that it has not given up the 'phased plan' [for Israel's destruction]."

Asked whether Israel should therefore return to Homesh, Ya'alon said, "we need to consider it." Science and Technology Minister Daniel Hershkowitz added that Jews have a right to live anywhere in the Land of Israel, while Information and Diaspora Minister Yuli Edelstein said he hoped to see the first settlers returning to Homesh under this government.

We are back at home

2009-08-08T21:04:00.000+03:00

Translated from Italian http://www.informazionecorretta.com/main.php?mediaId=8&sez=120&id=30526

Giulio Meotti
We are back at home, "proclaims the sign at the entrance to Givat Assaf, an Israeli army outpost which takes its name from a jew settler killed by Palestinians. "At this precise point, 3800 years ago, the Land of Israel was promised to the Jewish people." The secretary of the community, Benny Gal, explains their presence: "If we take away from here, threatening to be the Ben Gurion international airport." Givat Assaf is one of the general headquarters of the "Hilltop Youth", the youth of the hills, the second generation of settlers who are organizing resistance to the evacuation of settlements considered illegal, so-called outpost, center of the negotiations between Netanyahu and Obama. For these young people the Jewish risorgimento pass, as the beginning of the twentieth century, the comparison side by side with the Arabs. The laws of the peace process does not seem to diminish. The Israeli soldiers, the ones with which the settlers share brigades and divided, must drag them away by force when the order comes to evacuate from Jerusalem. Who still lives in palm palm with death. Last April, one of these young people were killed in coups ax. In case of conflict is not the law of the state, but that of the Lord. E 'as the dell'epopea American western frontier. Although now the American Director Mitchell and Netanyahu are perhaps to submit an interruption in the growth of settlements, many villages and communities are on hold for years. And 'This leads to the outpost. Israel has removed many of these camps over the past two years. One of the last, Maoz Ester, consisted of seven huts sheet and five families. "Rifaremo all over again, and we destroy them rebuild," announced the leader Avraham Sandak. Other outpost had already been programmed. The movement that guides them is the "Youth for the Land of Israel." They also include officers of the army and secret services. The guru of the outposts is Avri Ran, the theoretical dell'Avoda Ivrit, the Labor Zionist ideology updated as a return to the earth. E 'known as "the Sheriff". Woe to think it is a phenomenon of extreme right, the category no sense in Israel. With Prime Minister Ariel Sharon were born 44 outposts, "rush to build" the general said the Likud. Other 39 (according to the figures of Peace Now) were built under Rabin, Peres and Barak, the protagonists of Oslo. The executive did not laburisti almost nothing to prevent the outposts are proliferating. Israel does not consider them rebel enclave. At least judging from the massive security forces to protect them. So many communities have paved roads, bus stops, synagogues, even sports. They range from simple container resting on top of a hill or some segment of the barracks, until real settlements made with prefabricated post type earthquake. For the prayer of the Sabbath is a minyam, the quorum of ten men. Is this enough to make a outpost. So we are ten families of Peruvian all'ebraismo converted into an outpost just outside the settlement of Efrat, between Bethlehem and Hebron. One of the leaders of the hills lives in Kfar Tapuach. The village is famous for honey that is produced, but above all to be mentioned in the Bible, Joshua 12. E 'one of the thirty cities conquered by the Jews upon arrival thousands of years ago. Today is one of the most ideological of the West Bank, which the settlers call the biblical names of Judea and Samaria. " Founded by immigrants Yemenis in Kfar Tapuach lives with his wife and sons David Ha'ivri, a leader of the youth of the hills. "We have called Obama one of our community," says David, laughing Ha'ivri, originally from Long Island and now head of the Shomron Liaison Office. It is not a joke, there really Givat Obama between Jerusalem and Beit El Della "Hilltop Youth" are in young people born and raised in the colonies, who have decided to leave the paternal roof in large conglomerates to go and lurk in the hills. They pray in synagogues often made of terracotta. You build the house with their hands, are single or newly married, little from parents. Are considered the new vanguard of the settlers. Their motto is essential: "We build and the permit will arrive." They live a stone's throw from the Arabs. They move with a horse or a donkey. The newspaper Haaretz said to have a look "neo-Hassidic" are the Zionist version of the New Age western. " Their fathers have become settlers only after many years of living in the settlements. They are born here and grew up. It 'a new generation imbued with a mystic nationalism that is linked to the pioneering and asceticism, rejects the consumerism of the big cities on the coast and lives of ideology and fervor. The women wear the "mitpahat", the Hebrew equivalent, less delicate and more enveloping the Islamic chador. Men have hair to the wind, long side curls and shirts to paintings. "These are young people who embody the ideology of Torah el'autosacrificio" he says Ha'ivri. "The salvation of Israel and the Jewish people can not come from politicians who think that the battle for Earth is a tactical game. Ten years ago we started building outposts. Are young couples who have decided to be pioneers such as parents, want to build, believe in Zionism, are idealists, ready to leave every life comfortable in big cities or in large colonies. They want to be self-sufficient, with all the limitations that this entails. " Building "little paradise" Shani Simkovitz heads the Gush Etzion Foundation. And 'American and has five children. "This is a land dispute, by negotiate, not occupied land," says Shani. "More than three thousand years ago our fathers gave us a land, which is not Rome, not New York, but this one. The Jewish land. Have sent us here to build, to grow, to live, we have always supported, especially Rabin, Peres and other Labor. Until today. My children were born here, but there is no more legal ground on which to build, the government has long ceased to grant permission for a house, so the nascono outpost. The outposts are extensions of existing communities. But it is in Jerusalem, where thousands of Israelis living beyond the Green Line. " EERA Ungar 2 Teko lives in an outpost close up biggest in the wilderness of Judea. "The outpost is part of a political question, not legal," he says EERA. "We have the right to live in the land of our fathers? We have the right to a family? ". Another leader of the hills, living in a group of caravans Artis clinging to the mountain, called Pisgat Yaakov, which means "hill of Jacob." An isolated area in the winter, the snow. Among those thirty families there Yishai Fleischer, the founder of Kumah, an organization that promotes alyah, immigration, and conducts a radio program of great success. "We have an idyllic life and nature, is a beautiful region, in the mountains," said Yishai at Sheet. "Our fathers have walked here three thousand years ago, we are somewhat 'as the new hippy. We work the land. There's a lot of music, religion, is a happy life. Pray, meditate, spiritual lead a life. We are the Aboriginal people. I was in New York, as a student I believed in Zionism, and I decided that this was the place where I should live. We have what we need. We are pioneers, we are the true Zionists. Many of my friends are religiosissimi and working in high tech. Our children grow up with real values. " E 'una vita, admits Yishai, very dangerous. "Giro armed hate guns, does not mean that it should use them, but I must protect my family. Our village is mentioned several times in the Bible, so it attracts many people. She lives in Rome, a city sacred to his people, I was born and raised in Israel. Here they feel part of the earth and sky. We grew up knowing that the next step would be ours. " Yishai is well aware that the settlers are not loved by Israelis who live on the coast. "We are isolated in public opinion, but we work every day to improve. Today, nationalism is not cool, is not politically correct. I do not expect to win the hearts of people who do not live here. It 'simple: this is our land. According to international standards, according to the Bible, according to the story. We live in exciting times in which the Jewish people back home. We are back here. When we wake up in the morning not to think about peace, but to lead a happy life, full of dignity and love. We must be vigilant, there are people here who want to kill us as Jews. Have the same ideology of the Nazis. The Europeans were not interested in the fate of the Jews sixty years ago, are far from us today. We know why we are here, we have a mission we pursue every day. Italian Jews should come and live here. It makes no difference where, in Tel Aviv or in the hills of Jacob. But here is our place. " David Ha'ivri describes them well. "Many are farmers or pastoralists, there are students, all pioneers who live in desert areas, empty, without people, there are no Palestinians will be taken in anything, the settlers plant trees, cultivate the land, bring water, food, electricity. In larger communities, security is well organized, but in these communities of a few families the burden of safety is enormous. The second generation is much more attached to the land of the former, were born here, their blood is here. Are even more religious fathers. " Many of these outposts were created over the years right there where the Palestinians had killed a settler. Them, young talent, they are called "living monuments". As Itay Zar, who now lives in an outpost named after the brother killed. Twenty families, a dozen boxes of metal, forty children and a stable for horses. "We came here to have fun. There was the desert, the earth flourishes today. " The spiritual leader dell'outpost, Arie Lipo says that the task of building "little paradise". "We the People of the Bible and the question is: who is the boss? God? Or Obama? ". Ha'ivri David puts it this way: "We are the followers of a story broken by the Romans exiled the Jews. Our motto reads: Hashem Melech, God is the King. " Yesterday was another outpost, Tzur-ya. A hut and a manifesto: "The salvation is near."

Shomorn volunteer program

2009-08-07T09:29:00.000+03:00

Have you heard about the growth of hilltop communities in Judea and Samaria?

Do you want to be part of the action?

Become a pioneer and claim your stake in Jewish history

Join a 6 day volunteer program in El Matan – one of the newest communities in the heart of the Jewish homelandI

n addition to room and board the program includes:Building, Planting, Hiking, Learning and direct interaction with local residents

For registration and information contact:
The Zionist Freedom Alliance info@zfa.org.il
Shomron Liaison Office info@yeshuv.org

Official Knesset Meeting in Threatened Outpost

2009-07-23T22:17:00.000+03:00

Official Knesset Meeting in Threatened Outpost

Shared via AddThis

Jews return to Joseph's tomb - 23-6-09

2009-06-23T07:49:00.000+03:00

Monday night 22 June 2009, Hundreds of Jewish worshipers visit Joseph's tomb under heavy IDF security. Israeli army escorts bus loads of Jewish visitors through the PA city of Schechem (Nablus). Since the site was taken-over and desecrated by Arab mobs in September 2000, Jews have not had free access to the Biblical holy place.

Samaria Regional Council head Gershon Mesika is spearheading a political effort to rebuild the tomb of the biblical figure Joseph, located in Shechem, 30 miles north of Jerusalem. The tomb was overrun and desecrated by Arabs in October 2000, and remains in an area under control of the Palestinian Authority (PA).

Over the past year Mesika has been lobbing government and military command for permits to restore Joseph's Tomb and hopes to recruit funds for the project. During this time Jews have been allowed monthly visits to the site under heavy militarily guard.

Mesika was among twelve busloads of Jews who entered Joseph's Tomb between 11PM - 4AM last night for an event marking the “Hillola” anniversary of Joseph's death. The Jewish worshippers, who brought generators with them for electricity, reported that the occasion was a moving one, despite the run down and ravaged state of the tomb.

Last night visitors planted a tree in the front courtyard of the site were an ancient tree had stood until it was brunt down by rioters 9 years ago. See attached photo.

For more information please contact:

David Ha'ivri
The Shomron Liaison Office
USA Phone 1-512-961-7059
Israel Phone 052-607-1690
Website www.yeshuv.org

And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, they buried in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob purchased from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph. (The book of Joshua 24:32)

No to ethinic cleasing of Jews in our Homeland

2009-06-12T17:20:00.000+03:00

Yom Atzmaut at Kfar Tapuach

2009-04-29T12:19:00.000+03:00

Yom HaZikron - memorial services at Itamar cemetery

2009-04-28T18:51:00.000+03:00

Yom HaZikron - Remembering the fallen heroes

2009-04-28T09:09:00.000+03:00

Memorial ceremony lead by youth of Kfar Tapuach

Bruchin

2009-04-27T12:55:00.000+03:00

The community of Bruchin is a 15 minute drive east of Petach Tikvah, just off the number 5 highway. The town was established ten years ago via a decision by the government of the State of Israel. The Ministry of Housing built 40 permanent homes, enabling young families to purchase them with government sponsored and subsidized mortgages. Some 40 additional families joined the community, moving into the town's temporary neighborhood of caravan trailer-homes. Many of this second group purchased plots of land, drew up building plans, and began building their homes in a neighborhood adjacent to the one built by the government.
Benny Begin visiting Bruchin in the Shomron
Ariel Sharon, who in an “earlier life” as Minister of Housing 1990 - 1992 was a force in expanding the towns of Yehuda and Shomron by building thousands of houses, was quoted as saying: "Everybody has to move, run and grab as many (Judean) hilltops as they can to enlarge the (Jewish) settlements because everything we take now will stay ours... Everything we don't grab will go to them." That statement could be viewed as the battle cry of the hilltop movement that has established over 100 new Jewish towns throughout Yehuda and Shomron over the past 12 years. But something bad happened to Sharon in his old age - his hunger for personal advancement got the better of him. He appointed notorious leftist attorney Talia Sason to “investigate” how the “outposts” grew and spread thorughout Yehuda and Shomron. Talia Sason has been known to manipulate her government appointed positions as a vehicle to oppress her political opponents in the settlements. As head of the Justice ministry's special task force, she hunted down settlers and right wing activists (like myself) and had the police investigate and press charges against them for making statements not to her liking. She recently ran for Knesset on the ultra-left Mertz list, but Baruch HaShem, did not get in.

On page 12 in the summary of Sason's report on the outposts, she describes how Bruchin was built with government approval, but then proceeds to classify the town as an unauthorized (illegal) outpost. As a result of this report, the government stopped all funding and private building in the town. Families who had invested in land and building plans were suddenly in a predicament, misled by the government of Israel itself. Over the past four years, their building plans have been frozen. Many young families in the community are stuck in trailer homes that they had planned as temporary dwellings for no more than two years, until their permanent homes nearby were ready. In the meantime, their families have grown and they endure overcrowded conditions. They cannot go elsewhere even if they wanted to, because they have already invested their money in land and building in Bruchin. Sason's report has additional ramifications: the electric company and phone company are forbidden from providing the town a proper infrastructure. And so, Bruchin's hundred families must rely on cellphones and generators. The State has even forbidden the town from tying in with the national sewage line, forcing the residents to commit a crime every time they flush the toilet.

How did Talyia Sason manage to to declare this State-established town an "illegal outpost"? Bruchin, like 98% of all of the Jewish towns in Judea and Samaria, is built on State owned land. The Minster of Defense is required to sign the final approval for registering a new town. This procedure is not very different from that of the establishment of towns, moshavim and kibutzim throughout Israel since it’s founding. For some towns, it took 60 years before they got their final approval. The only difference between Bruchin and nearby Alei Zahav is that Bruchin has not yet received that signature! This is the loophole that Sasson used.

Recently, Shomron Mayor Gershon Mesika asked the Minster of Defense to sign papers to allow the building of a preschool daycare center that would replace the old trailers now being used for the Bruchin's hundred toddlers. Of course, he refused, meaning that funding from the Ministry of Education for a permanent facility was now unattainable. (Note that the government is not so strict in areas where Arabs build with no permit in the Negev and the Galilee, where a refusal of educational facilities is unheard of) And so, little children in Israel are punished for living in what has been designated as an “illegal outpost” even though it was originally established with full government authorization. Fortunately, in the case of this day care center, a generous donor was found who was willing to take on what is essentially the government’s responsibility.

Bruchin is the story of one of the largest unauthorized outposts in the Shomron regional council. It certainly breaks the stereotype of what an "illegal outpost" is to most people. The residents of Bruchin are in most part professionals, workers in high-tech, IDF; the elite of Israeli society. May haShem bless us with national leadership who understand that the right of the Jewish people to settle our land is a basic fundamental right that must be be promoted and sponsored by the government, and not oppressed. The settlers in these new towns or outposts are not criminals; they are the heroes of our people and should be awarded for their work.

Narative of Pesach Shomron tour (part 1)

2009-04-16T15:17:00.000+03:00

My name is David Ha'ivri and I work with the Shomron Liaison Office. I’d like to tell you about some of the work we do in the Gav HaHar area in the Shomron. Here we will be seeing the result of cooperation between the Shomron Liaison office and the ZOA – Zionist Organization of America's Israel office lead by Jeff Daube. (I am glad to see the ZOA more active in the Shomron; Jeff and I have led a number of tours out here and hosted members of the ZOA leadership including ZOA chairman Morton Klein.)

To get to the Gav HaHar area from Jerusalem means traveling north on the 60 road as it is marked on the road map. This road is actually the highway of the Bible. All of the main biblical figures traveled north and south on this road. All of the major places mentioned in the Bible are situated on this road. Elon Moreh, Shechem, Shilo, Beit El, Jerusalem, Beit Lechem and Be'er Sheva. Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov are all recorded stopping at these locations. This is why we call this Derech HaAvot, the Way of the Fathers.

The Gav HaHar area includes many Jewish towns in the Shomron. The Shomron regional council incorporates 40 Jewish town or settlements as popularly coined in the media. Thirty of our towns are officially recognized by the government of Israel and 12 towns have been classified as unauthorized outposts. (Explanations on that subject will be dealt with further on.) One can meet with residents and see some local educational institutions and businesses. After reading this report, you will have a clearer picture in mind and a better understanding of many current issues you may hear discussed in the media. This report was written to clarify these issues with un-biased information. The long term goal is to settle these areas of our historical homeland and keep them in Jewish hands forever.

Upon leaving Jerusalem’s Pisgat Ze'ev – Neveh Yaakov neighborhoods one passes through the checkpoint that the Israeli government calls the security barrier. This part of the barrier is in fact an 8 meter high cement wall. Many people feel that building this wall was a mistake and they hope for the day that it will be removed in order to reunite the parts of the land of Israel that are separated by it. Many people hold the belief that the land of Israel belongs to the Jewish people. As a result of the surrounding Arabs’ plans to annihilate the Jewish state in 1967, the area of Judea and Samaria, the Sinai and Golan were liberated by the Jewish army. Many people also hold that this land must never be forfeit to other nations as it is a gift from G-d.

After passing the Hezmi checkpoint, the bypass road continues on to the Jewish town of Geva Binyamin otherwise known as Adam. It is interesting to point out that this bypass road was paved by the government of Israel in order to redirect Jewish traffic from the Shomron and Binyamin areas that previously passed though Ramalla, Elbera and the Shoefat neighborhood in the north of Jerusalem. These roads and towns have been declared “off limits” to Jews since the “Peace” broke out. Further along there will be pointed out other such bypass roads and areas that have been closed off to Jews. Note here that contrary to claims of “peace activists”, the bypass roads are open to local Arabs and used by them to their benefit. The only people who have been banned from certain roads and areas are Jews.

To the north the 60 road passes by the towns of the Binyamin regional council, first Adam-Geva Binyamin, which was established in the summer of 1984 by young families from Jerusalem neighborhoods. Today there are over 1000 families in the town. Many work in Jerusalem which is only 4 kilometers away. Others work in the towns’ educational system and some in small local industry.

After that the road goes by the Shar Binyamin commercial center, which includes the Rami Levi discount super market, a medical and dental clinic, a bakery and other stores and services as well as some small industry. It is interesting to point out that many local Arabs frequent the supermarket here as shoppers and not a small number are employed there as well.

To the west one passes the towns of Pesagot and Kochav Yaakov and the infamous Migron that has received media coverage regarding government plants to be dismantled. Hopefully the government will continue to talk and the building will continue. Soon the road comes to Givat Asaf which was established in 2001 in memory of Asaf Hershkowitz from the nearby town of Ofrah. He was killed by Arab snipers on this road only weeks after his father was killed in the same way. Givat Asaf is located at the turn off to the town Beit El.

Next the road comes to one of the older “settlements” in the Binyamin region, Ofra. Ofra was established in 1975 and named for a biblical Jewish farming community located in the region. With over 500 families, Ofra is one of the larger towns in the Binyamin area. The original families who joined this town were all required to work locally. As a result of that rule, many of the town's people cultivate the land around the town growing fruit. Others own carpentry shops; a car mechanic garage and others work in local educational institutions, elementary school, and high school for girls, a Medrasha for young women and the Society for the protection of Nature's field school.

Next comes Wadi Haramia which literately means the valley of the bandits. This narrow passage through two very high mountains leaves no room for detours. As mentioned earlier, this road is historically the highway of the bible. Throughout the ages pilgrims and travelers would pass though this valley on their way to Jerusalem. Local bandits would take advantage of t he topography and take their toll from the travelers. The British mandate police set up a command station to protect travelers from the bandits. After Sara Lisha from the Binyamin town Halamish was murdered at this spot in Nov. 2000 the old British police station building was restored and used by the IDF to protect commuters on this road from attack. However in 2002 ten Israeli soldiers and civilians were shot down here by an Arab sniper after which the military ceased use of the site as an outpost. Since then it has been used by the Binyamin regional council as a memorial site for those killed.

The road then continues on to pass by the Arab villages of Sangil and Tormus Eya; from the first came the terrorist who killed the 10 Jews at the old British checkpoint that just mentioned and the second village is noted to have many former residents who live in the United Stated. One can see the large mansions. It is said that they have private security firms that guard the homes of the people who currently reside in the US.

To the right, the town of Shilo, the Adi Ad hilltop communities and the site of the Mishkan – the tabernacle from the days of Eli HaChohen and Shmuel HaNavi – can be seen. On the hill to the left are the hilltop communities of Givat Harel, named for the son of Shilo's Rabbi Harel BinNun who was killed with his friend Shlomo Livman while on guard in Yitzhar in 1998, and Givat HaRoeh established in 2003. Up above them is the town of Maale Livona, with the town of Eli is on the right. Eli is the northern most town in the Binyamin regional council.

Shortly the road comes to the first destination on this agenda, Rechelim, which is the southernmost town in the Shomron regional council on the 60 road. The Shomron regional council is the largest regional council in Israel in terms of size. Its area is 11% the size of the state of Israel. The southern border of the Shomron regional council is the Jewish towns just south of the 5 or 505 highway; the eastern and northern borders are the Green-line. Within the geographical area of the Shomron regional council there are four independent local municipalities: Kedumim, Emunuel, Karni Shomron, Elkana and an independent city, the city of Ariel. The Shomron regional council serves as the municipality for all of the other Jewish communities in this area on both sides of the security barrier. The Shomron regional council is unique in that its population is very diverse, some of the communities are religious, some not and some mixed. That fact has never been an issue affecting relations and cooperation within these communities. Elon Moreh resident Gershon Meskia is the elected head of the Shomron regional council.

Rechelim was establish in 1991 by women of the town of Shilo in memory of their friend Rachela Druck who was killed in by Arab terrorists on the road by the site of the town. Here one can meet and speak with Kuti (Katriel) Ben David who has lived here with his wife and children for over 12 years. Kuti works as a tour guide and in the past he was the administrative director of one of the neighboring towns. From Kuti one can learn the history of the town, the hardships suffered until being approved by the government and then being un-approved again as result of the Taliya Sasson report.

Talyia Sasson was appointed in 2005 by Ariel Sharon to investigate government funding of the “outposts” in Yehuda and Shomron. Basically what she did was go over a checklist of what permits are required in order to establish a new town in Israel and anything that was not completed went on her black list and became classified as an un-authorized or illegal outpost. Rechelim is an example of a town that was built by the State of Israel and later became un-approved and has had all of its funding stopped by the government. That includes the refusal of the ministry of education to finance pre-schools for the town’s youngsters.

Rechelim is home to about 45 families. Children go to school at the elementary school in Shilo. One of the town's residents runs a therapeutic house ranch. There is also Erez Ben Saadon's Tora winery. This winery has again this year won a medal for excellence. Erez grows his grapes on Mount Grizim. Har Grizim towers over 800 meters above sea level and has a very unique mini climate that does wonders for the quality of the grapes grown there. Erez started growing grapes for wine about ten years ago while he was a student in the Hesder Yeshiva at Har Bracha. The first years were very difficult for him and his young wife Vered. Each year they encountered expenses that they had not planned for and that forced them to look for financing so as not to lose their initial investment. They were near broke and had no income from the vineyard until after the fourth year. The first crops were sold under contract to Carmel Mizrachi and there it was discovered that these grape are very fine and have an extraordinary level of sugar. Erez found that Carmel was not able to pay him the true value of his produce and started out to produce his own wine. Recently Tora wines has brought in a foreign investor and will this year begin marketing in the USA.

From Rechelim the road continues on to Havat Gilad, which was established in 2001 on land owned by Moshe Zar in memory of his son Gilad who was assinated by Arab terrorists in the end of May that year. Gilad Zar was the civilian security chief for the Shomron regional council. He lived in Itamar with his wife Hagar and their 8 children.

(To be continued...)

Havat Gilad - MKs Demand Investigation of Police Provocation

2009-03-29T16:48:00.000+03:00

Nisan 4, 5769, 29 March 09 12:37

by Hillel Fendel

(IsraelNN.com) Condemnations of the police intensify, following the release of additional details of the ambush/entrapment the police perpetrated on Thursday against six Jewish youths from the Shomron.

Shomron Regional Council Chairman Gershon Mesika is demanding a public inquiry to thoroughly investigate the “provocation and its motives.” The incident involved policemen hiding inside an Arab-licensed car that was suspected of setting up a terror attack. The details were revealed based on a court ruling on the police request for extension of custody of the six arrested youths, and letter written by Mesika.

Mesika wrote to Shlomo Ka’atbi, head of the Samaria and Judea Police District, “A car with Palestinian license plates, driven by an Arab, with another Arab sitting next to him – [apparently] policemen disguised as Arabs – entered the area of the Gilad Farm, and parked on the side, with the two ‘Arabs’ appearing to need help in fixing a tire. This, while all four tires were in perfect shape. This aroused the suspicion of the residents that this might be an terrorist attempt, as occurred just two weeks ago in the Jordan Valley [when terrorists murdered two policemen who offered them help in changing their 'flat tire' – ed.].”

“After those two men [who appeared to be in need] responded with suspiciously strong aggressiveness to the residents’ questions and succeeded in causing the argument/clash that they wanted to create, the policemen suddenly emerged from their hiding spot in the car and began attacking the residents with great violence and tear gas – including residents who happened to be passing by.”

The Ynet article on the incident quoted the same letter, word for word – but omitted the words “in the car.” The Ynet report thus implied that the policemen were hiding nearby, outside the car. Mesika's letter states, however, that the policemen were hiding "in the car," and this is corroborated by eyewitnesses' testimony.

Police Version
Six youths were then arrested for “an attempted run-down” and “violence.” Shortly afterwards, the police spokesperson released a statement referring to the “Jewish residents’ “extreme violence.”

Judge Lashes Out at Police
On Friday, Kfar Saba Magistrates Court Judge David Gadol voiced strong criticism of the police, and ordered the immediate release of the arrestees; some of them were ordered not to leave their homes until Monday.

Judge Gadol’s unusually sharp criticism – he did not even agree to the police request for a brief stay of execution, which is commonly implemented in such cases – was directed at the very notion of carrying out an entrapment of this nature, and especially after two policemen were so recently killed in precisely the same way.

“For the police to again endanger its men in this way” is unacceptable, the judge said. He noted that the entire incident was an unreasonable provocation in order to create an artificial incident of violence, and was irresponsible from a security standpoint. “The police were liable to have been considered terrorists,” Judge Gadol said, adding that the police request for extension of custody was “unreasonable and disproportionate.”

MK Aryeh Eldad (National Union) says he will demand that the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee hold a special session on the matter, and MK Gilad Erdan (Likud) says he will act to ensure this occurs. Both are members of the current “temporary” Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee until the incoming government appoints the permanent committee.%ad%

Yossi Dagan, of the “Homesh First” settlement organization, released this statement: “The disgraceful provocation by the special unit police proves once again that for the goal of maligning the residents of Judea and Samaria, everything is permitted, including provocations, trickery, and violence. It is once again clear to all that those who come to hurt the [Jewish] settlement enterprise in the name of the ‘rule of law’ behave like the biggest criminals.”

The incident occurred shortly after Shomron residents began blocking roads in response to the police/army destruction of the start-up outpost neighborhood of Meoz Esther outside Kokhav HaShachar on Thursday.

www.IsraelNationalNews.com

Schoolchildren Follow in Forebears’ Footsteps to Jerusalem

2009-03-27T01:27:00.000+02:00

Nisan 1, 5769, 26 March 09 05:11

by Avraham Zuroff

(IsraelNN.com) Schoolchildren from a school near Shechem are making a pilgrimage walk to Jerusalem along the ancient road that their forebears took nearly 2,000 years ago. On Wednesday, 7th and 8th graders from the Lieberman Talmud Torah, located in the Jewish town of Yitzhar in the Shomron (Samaria), started their two-day trek southward spanning 50 kilometers (30 miles) to the nation’s capital.

The event marks the first time that the religious school, part of the Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva in Yitzhar, near Shechem, is reenacting the historic journey, known as aliyah la’regel. After spending Wednesday night in Ofrah, the students listened to words of Torah from educators there. They expect to reach the Western Wall Thursday night.

The students set out Wednesday morning on a hike from the Tapuach Junction in Samaria, walking along Route 60, known as the Route of the Forefathers, a historic highway from biblical times. Many of the events of the Bible took place on this road, which passes by Shechem, Shilo, Beit El, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hevron, and finally reaches Be’er Sheva. The route was once the main north-south artery along which the Jewish People would ascend on their way to Jerusalem for the festivals of Pesach (Passover), Shavuot (Weeks), and Sukkot (Booths).

The school’s principal, Rabbi Yehudah Liebman, feels that the walk is an educational way of reliving the past.

Elkanah, the father of the Prophet Shmuel (Samuel), was famous for encouraging fellow Jews to walk to the Tabernacle, then in the Samarian town of Shilo. Elkanah would take a different path each year in order to encourage as many of his brethren as he could to follow him to Shilo to bring an offering on the Jewish festival.

According to Shomron Community Council liason David Ha’ivri, other groups will hopefully follow in the footsteps – literally—of both Elkanah and the Samarian schoolchildren.

www.IsraelNationalNews.com

AFSI CHIZUK MISSION TO ISRAEL - MAY 17-MAY 26

2009-03-26T20:20:00.000+02:00

We’re so pleased that you are interested in joining the AFSI mission this May.

When we arrive in Israel on Monday, May 18, we will be met by our guide, David HaIvri, Director of the Shomron Liaison Office. He, along with Israel Danziger, head of Mishmeret Yesha, will lead us in exploring the hilltop communities of Judea and Samaria, meeting the residents, and visiting with Gershon Mesika, Mayor of the Shomron Regional Council. We’ll be staying at the Ashel HaShomron hotel in Ariel for two nights, Monday, and Tuesday, May 18, 19. On Wednesday, May 20, we will complete our tour of Yehuda and Shomron, and arrive in Jerusalem that evening, in time for the Yom Yerushalayim festivities. We’ll check into the Kings Hotel and remain there for four nights, until our departure on Sunday morning, May 24.

In Yerushalayim we will be touring with Arieh King, head of the Israel Land Fund, Chaim Silberstein, President of the Jerusalem Capital Development Fund, and Motti Dan of the Jerusalem Reclamation Project, learning the truth about Arab encroachment in Yerushalayim and throughout Israel. We will be shown the efforts on the part of these organizations to hold onto Jewish land in the Jewish homeland. And we will join in the joyous march through the streets of Jerusalem, celebrating the 1967reunification of Israel’s capital city. Of course, we will experience the joy of Shabbat in Yerushalayim, something that is always treasured.

The recent February election in Israel has brought many of our friends into the Knesset, with whom we hope to meet. We are in the process of reaching out to many of them.

On Friday, May 22, we will visit Kever Rachel, stop in Shdema to join Nadia Matar, Yehudit Katzover, and others, who gather every Friday to demonstrate that Shedema will remain in Jewish hands. When we arrive in Hebron, David Wilder will give us his usual unique tour of the holy city, which was liberated one day after the unification of Jerusalem. We will be there to mark that day.

Sunday morning, May 24, we will depart for our two day visits with our dear friends from the former Gush Katif/Gaza communities who were expelled from their homes and farms and schools and synagogues in August 2005. Almost four years later, they continue to live as refugees, many of them in trailer camps throughout the western Negev. Dror Vanunu, public relations director for the displaced persons, will be our guide. We will go as far south and west as Halutza, to visit the former Netzarim residents who are building their new communities there. We will also visit Sderot, and we’ll be staying Sunday night, May 24, in Ashkelon, meeting with leaders and residents of the communities.

The cost of the land portion of the trip will be $1500. The $500 non-refundable reservation is due on April 13, with full payment due on April 30. Payments may be made with a VISA charge card by calling Barry at 212-828-2424 or by mailing your check, made out to AFSI, to AFSI, 1751 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10128

Flight arrangements will be the responsibility of the individual participants. The majority of participants will be on the Sunday, May 17, El-Al flight that leaves Newark at 2:30 P.M. (14:30) LY028 - and arrives in Tel Aviv at 7:45 AM on Monday, May 18. If possible, please try to book that flight, or one that is on a similar time table. Everyone on the trip will meet at the arrivals area at Ben Gurion airport at 9 A.M. on May 18 to board our bus to begin touring. Anyone unable to meet us at the airport, can go to the Ashel HaShomron hotel in Ariel, and meet us there when the group arrives at the end of the day on Monday.

Looking forward to another unique AFSI Chizuk experience.

Helen Freedman – 917-886-0729; ghfree@aol.com

This Great Mountain Festival

2009-03-25T18:21:00.000+02:00

The Shomron Regional Council invites you to join us in the opening activity of our 30 year celebration to renew a Jewish presence in the Shomron!!

This Great Mountain Festival

Ancient Shomron (do you want this to say Samaria?) comes to life: Friday, April 10, 2009 the first day of Chol Hamoed Pesach between 8am and 1pm guided tours of the National Park in Sebastia

The Mountain tells of the Bible: Sunday, April 12, 2009 the third day of Chol Hamoed Pesach between 10am and 4pm in the Mt. Cabir Nature Reserve Elon Moreh comes to life: riddle writing, story telling, street actors, and residents of the town will tell their stories of the great mountain, Hang-gliding exhibit.

The Green Celebration on the Mountain – Itamar celebrates 25 years of agriculture and residence: Monday, April13, 2009 the fourth day of Chol Hamoed Pesach between 10am and 5pm creative nature workshops, scenic jeep routes, guided tours in Givot Olam, farmers and artisans market, horseback riding, and more ...

And at 6pm at the Gav HaHar administrative center (or is this presented by but not at?) the main attraction - the opening performance of the celebration marking 30 years of Jewish residence in the Shomron: Udi Davidi and his band!!! (admission fee charged)

For more information and registration call: 03-936-8146 or go to www.yeshuv.org on the internet there will also be an information booth at the Tapuach Junction or email info@yeshuv.org

Chelkat Sade Learning and Tour Center of Elon Moreh, conducting tours of the Shomron during Chol Hamoed Pesach for more information and registration call 02-997-3106 or check our website at www.shchem.org/teva

Israel National News report New Torah for Outpost

2009-03-22T13:13:00.000+02:00

Anonymous American Donates Torah Scroll to Outpost

2009-03-20T10:03:00.000+02:00

Adar 24, 5769, 20 March 09 07:05
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

(IsraelNN.com) An anonymous American Jewish investor celebrated his eldest son’s Bar Mitzvah by contributing a Torah scroll to the Samarian outpost community of El Matan, next to Ma’aleh Shomron and Ginot Shomron. The Bar Mitzvah was celebrated Thursday morning at the Western Wall (Kotel).

The name of the community means “G-d’s Gift” in Hebrew, and the donor, a man of Moroccan descent, said that the mitzvah of giving the holy scroll is all the recognition he needs.

Shunning all publicity, the North Miami Beach resident asked his friend, Brooklyn Rabbi Nissim El-Nikaveh, to act as his spokesman. The rabbi said that the philanthropist is a strong supporter of Israel and has been very impressed by the growth of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.

The anonymous donor brought with him 40 family members and friends to El Matan, where the festive ceremony of dedicating the new Torah scroll was held Wednesday evening at the community, some 18 families strong.

“He wanted to show the group that came with him the development so they also could be inspired,” according to Rabbi El Nikaveh.

“The donor expressed his interest in investing in the growth of wine-producing farms and wineries located in the hilltop communities,” said David Ha'Ivri, liaison for the Shomron region (Samaria) who organized the visitors’ tour. He added that “The donor is also looking into sponsoring a building project for expellees of Homesh and Sa-Nur, who have been living in trailers in the ‘Neighborhood of the Banished” in Shavei Shomron since the two communities were destroyed in 2005.

One person attending the ceremony said, “To see stones is history. To see people is to understand how the stones got there,” meaning the rocks are meaningless without people.

The donor found out about the need for a Torah scroll at El Matan after contacting Gershon Mesika, chairman of the Shomron Regional Council, who attended the ceremony.

Also present were Netanya Chief Rabbi David Shlush, Danny Dayan, chairman of the Council of Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria, Karnei Shomron Mayor Herzl Ben Ari and Rabbi Shlomo Katzin, head of the Midrash HaSephardi Yeshiva (Sephardic Midrash Yeshiva) in Jerusalem.
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Purim Prayers at Joshua's Tomb

2009-03-18T10:40:00.000+02:00

Site of Joshua's tomb Open to Jewish Prayer for Purim
Adar 14, 5769, 10 March 09 07:44
(IsraelNN.com) On Tuesday morning, Purim, the IDF is allowing Jewish worshipers to gather for morning prayers and reading of the book of Esther at the historical burial place of Yehoshua Bin Nun (Joshua).
Joshua’s burial site is located in the Arab village Kifel Charas (know in the Bible as Timanat Charas), near Ariel.
Shomron regional council head Gershon Mesika, who intends to be among the worshippers, said that the council will continue to achieve free access to Jews to our holy places in the Shomron, including Joseph's tomb in Shechem, and sites in Awarta and Kifel Charas.
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© Copyright IsraelNationalNews.com
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