April 24, 2007

Independence Day in Homesh

Yom Haatzmaut (Tuesday 24 April 6 Iyar) is Israeli Independence Day. Israel is 59 years old today. To celebrate this year my husband (Hanan) and myself are going with a large group of people to Homesh. Homesh was one of the four communities in Northern Shomron (together with another 21 in Gush Katif) that were destroyed by the Israeli government in August 2005 as part of the policy of Disengagement. Homesh, located on the highest mountain in the region and is of great strategic importance. In 2005 the original plan was to hand over the area to the Palestinian Authority, but at the last minute, due to the insistence of the army, it was decided to expel the Jewish inhabitants and destroy all the homes in the community, but to maintain control of the area and not cede it to the Palestinians. The Jewish families who were expelled are demanding the right to rebuild their homes and return to their community. Five thousand marched to Homesh over Hannukah and about three thousand the week before Pesach. Today’s gathering is a demonstration of solidarity with the refugees from Homesh who have every right to return to their homes in the heartland of Eretz Yisrael.

We parked our car by Binyanei Hauma and left on a bus at 10.03 Tuesday morning. We paid NIS 30 each for roundtrip. There was a police car parked near the Homesh bus zone and one or two policemen carefully counting the number of people boarding the buses. I know for sure there were two busloads. There may have been more after our departure.

It was a routine journey until we arrived at the Geet Tsomet (junction) near Kedumim. Organizers told us that they suggested we leave the buses and walk a few meters to the Tsomet which was blocked by army vehicles, soldiers, police, and those guys in intimidating Black Nazi-like uniforms (the ones who first appeared during the Hitnatkut). They assured us that once hundreds of us arrived at the Tsomet then the army would allow the cars and buses to proceed to Shavei Shomron where we would disembark and walk up to Homesh. Well we stood there about 15 minutes and it was obvious to us and many others that the buses and cars would not be allowed in. Some hot shot army officer with lots of stripes and falafels on his shoulders said: "So they want to walk let them walk." We made a decision and walked around the barrier and indeed began walking. There was no attempt to stop walkers.

I had been to Homesh in May 2005 on a group trip with David Bedein and several foreign reporters. We were on a bus and I paid no attention then to names of Tsomets, distances etc. However, I did remember that Homesh was up very high. Indeed this is its very strategic importance.

Anyway we started walking. I had a heavy backpack with food. We always have a nice meal on Yom Atzmaut and we so no reason to forego this tradition. I had a container with fried chicken. Another with salad. Naive me figured we would eat lunch at 1.30 p.m. so I brought tunafish (another container) for a late evening meal. Fruit, etc. etc. The backpack was not light. Plus it holds a 3-litre waterpack with a tube that allows me to drink as I walk.

Hanan also had a backpack with another 4 1.5 litres of water. Matot Arim did not inform us that there would be water in Homesh. He also carried our jackets since it would be cold after sundown. Camera etc.etc.

So off we go from Tsomet Geet. WE walked and walked. We passed Kedumim and organizers informed us that we have to get to Tsomet Shavei Shomron. We continued walking. Then cars from Shavei Shomron began ferrying people from Geet to Shavei Shomron. But they didn't stop for people who had begun walking already. We walked an hour and a half and then we reached Tsomet Shavei Shomron. We walked at a good pace. Listen I walk an hour every morning in Ramot B, I work out 4.5 hours in the exercise room at the gym and I go to organized exercise classes 3 hours a week. In addition I work out with weights 2 hours a week. I consider myself in good shape. Hanan works one hour a week with weights.

From Tsomet Shavei Shomron we set out for Homesh through fields and over dirt paths. Eventually we reached an ascending asphalt road leading up to Homesh. You have to realize that there were hundreds, perhaps thousands of people walking in groups with long gaps in between. You just followed whoever was in front of you. At one point we reached a point where an army vehicle blocked the road. On the other side of the vehicle was an Arab village. The group directly in front of us turned right off the road. We assumed this meant that we could not continue on the road and walk through the village. So everyone went off the road.

We climbed uphill dirt paths, over rocks, up terraces, steep inclines you name it. Eventually we would reach a continuation of the road but higher up. The road seemed endless and curved around the mountain. We succeeded in scaling most of the shortcuts that people took. Near the very end several people began climbing up a near vertical mountain wall. I looked at it, assessed the situation and didn't think I could make it. We walked further until we found a safer shortcut to the road above. We finally reached what had formerly been the gate of Homesh at 15:15 p.m. We had walked four hours. Several times Hanan asked me if I wanted to turn back. I said no. I was determined to make it. People with young children stopped along the way to eat, but we didn't. I felt that if I stopped for an extended period of time I might not be able to continue the climb.

As we stumbled into Homesh Hanan found a minyan for Minhah and I found a vacant place under the shade of tree where we could have lunch. There were directional signs for bathrooms but they had not been set up yet.

I just collapsed on the ground. I took out disposable plates and began eating chicken and salad. I was simply starving. I took my hiking boots off and let my feet breathe. Hanan actually fell asleep for about half an hour. Even though I had a sweatshirt over my t-shirt I was cold because the t-shirt was wet from sweat. So I moved out into the warm sunshine. Later, when we got home I discovered that my arms had been sunburned in that short time.

After eating, we walked around Hmesh. I cried. I remember what the community looked like in May 2005 and there is just haphazard debris scattered around the site: concrete slabs, parking areas still there, outdoor stairs (concrete) to houses and between levels along the road. Red roof tiles are scattered all over, barbed wire, pieces of pipes, window frames. This is all that remains of a vibrant and dedicated community destroyed by its own government and army. You can still see the outline of houses. I saw some young girls and boys wandering over the plot of land that used to be their home. They were explaining to their friends: this was my room, this was the living room, kitchen. Terrible just terrible. The guilt rose up in my throat. I thought I would throw up. We, all of us, let this happen.

The speeches began about 17.00. Limor Sohn Har-Melech, a former Homesh resident who lost her first husband in a terror attack some years ago, addressed the demonstrators. She finally remarried about a year ago and gave birth to a son before Pesach and had the bris in Homesh just before Pesach. She wants to rebuild her home there and so do the other people.

Professor Yisrael Auman spoke. He schlepped up that mountain by foot as well. Said what a terrible thing it was that the communities were destroyed and said how wonderful that so many people turned up for Independence Day. There were some other speakers but I didn't pay attention. We were concerned with getting down the mountain. When we paid our money on the bus the young woman said the bus would be returning to Jerusalem at 7 p.m. When we first arrived in Homesh we made inquiries because we figured this would be impossible. We just arrived at our destination a little after three. We would have to turn around and go back immediately if the bus were leaving at 7 p.m. No one knew anything, least of all the organizers. At 6 p.m. we started to leave and met some of the organizers. They didn't know anything. I insisted. Then they broke down and told the truth. The original plan agreed upon by the army was that the buses would have brought us in all the way on the road. Then the army changed its mind. We had to walk in but they would send in the buses to take us out. Well, well, guess what? They reneged on that too! So at 18:10 we started the return journey. It was imperative to complete most of the journey before dark. We thought we would have to do those shortcuts again and there was no way we could negotiate them in darkness. Besides I had had enough of reenacting the film Cliffhanger.

Many people were walking down. At the same time there were thousands still in Homesh not even ready to leave. AND!!! Hundreds were ascending to Homesh as we were descending. It was amazing. I couldn't believe people were just arriving. Old, young, religious, non-religious. When we were in Homesh they announced that 13,000 people had come to Homesh.

When we got to the area where we assumed we were going to have to resort to shortcuts (by the Arab village) we saw that the road was not blocked. There were soldiers all over and we could walk through the village and stay on the road. I was very happy about this.

The last 30-45 minutes of the journey was completed in darkness. We did not think to bring a flashlight. We had to negotiate open fields full of gullies and lots of rocks and large stones. Near the end we had to remember where the deep trenches were located.

When we reached Tsomet Shavei Shomron it was chaos personified. Hundreds, thousands of people. Soldiers. Police. There were a few buses parked along the road: from Haifa, Nahriya and other northern locations. They had arrived here instead of at Geet. No one knew anything about transportation to Jerusalem. Supposedly the buses to Jerusalem and everywhere else were stuck out at Geet.

Young men and women were sitting on the ground preventing army vehicles from moving. They said if they could not go home then the army vehicles would not move either. People were screaming and shouting. Police and soldiers were also yelling. The army vehicles were practically on top of the people sitting in the street and threatening to run over them. I wasn't sitting down there. There were fistfights and suddenly the men in black uniforms showed up with guns in their hands, roughing up the people sitting on the ground and dragging them away. Flashbacks to Tsomet Gama. Hanan had just walked back to take some pictures of all the people. I have to check if he captured any of this with the camera.

Although it may have seemed logical to the army to prevent people from entering Homesh, it made no sense at all to prevent their leaving. The only possible explanation for such an action is small-minded meanness or vengeance.

I had a phone number for the organizer from Matot Arim. We called him. He didn't know the buses were not allowed to come in to Shavei Shomron. He suggested that we walk out to Geet. We told him the truth: we had walked enough and could not walk another 1.5 hours. I know I could not have made it.We called him again and he said the bus was coming in to Shavei Shomron. It didn't come. All of a sudden a car passed by, empty except for the driver. We flagged him down and we plus a woman we had walked with got in. He was from Shavei Shomron. The people were organizing private vehicles to take the crowds to Tsomet Geet to get the buses. He drove us to the Tsomet. I could barely get out of the car. We looked for the buses to Jerusalem. NO signs, no drivers. If you found a driver they wouldn't answer you. Called Matot Arim. He said the buses would not travel empty and the people would not walk out. He said Matot Arim was not loading buses unless the army let them in to Shavei Shomron. He suggested we tramp home to Jerusalem. By this time it was almost 9:00 p.m.

Our daughter in Eli had phoned me when I was stumbly in the dark. She said if we got stuck we should call. We called. My son-in-law came to get us. We drove him back to Eli and then took his car to Jerusalem. Hanan brought me to Binyanei Hauma and I drove his car home.

Needless to say we were both exhausted. I took a hot shower and fell into bed. Our Daniel arrived (he had been at a friend's engagement party in Kiryat Arba) and he wanted to return to Eli so he drove back in my son-in-law's car. I fell asleep in seconds. I did not get up at 5 a.m. for my usual walk. My legs hurt a bit and I am exhausted, but I am very glad that we went to Homesh.

When we first stood at Tsomet Geet Hanan asked one of the soldiers, an officer, how far was Homesh. He said 20 kilometers. Hanan looked at me and said "20, that's not bad, we can make it." He said this young lieutenant looked at Hanan and then at me with doubt in his eyes. I missed all of this. I was busy taking pictures of police and soldiers telling people in private cars and bus drivers that they could not get through the roadblock. Unfortunately, the soldier was no longer there when we returned. Hanan was going to tell him that we did make it.

Look we passed soldiers all along the route. We told them Chag Sameach and they answered accordingly. I am sure that Amir Peretz is responsible for all that happened. Because of him the elderly, couples with infants and young children had to walk down in the dark. If someone fell ill, had a heart attack, I wonder if the government could be held responsible. I don't know. They don't care how much they hurt people, that is, as long as they are Jews. They would never do this to Palestinians.

I learned one thing today. We are still fighting for our Independence. Our independence from this lousy leftist regime that wants to give Eretz Yisrael to the enemy. May we be privileged to see their defeat in the near future.











Tzomet Geet












Road from Shavei Shomron to Homesh





Up on top at Homesh
























"Am Yisrael Chai!!!"















Limor Sohn Har-Melech speaks.















View of the crowd










Back at Shavei Shomron Junction


Where are the buses? We want to go home.




















Traffic Jam. The army won't co-operate.

Old fashioned sit-in.

April 8, 2007
FREE TERRORISTS (INCLUDING BARGHOUTI) SO THEY CAN MURDER MORE JEWS

Today as I prepared for the Chag I listened the Reshet Bet radio network. The topic of the day: Should the Israeli Government free terrorists who have killed Israelis, including Marwan Barghouti who was convicted on five counts of murder and sentenced to five consecutive life terms, in order to secure the release of Gilad Shalit who was kidnapped over ten months ago. Without Barghouti there is no deal!!

The commentator spoke with public figures and victims of terror regarding the topic of the day. These discussions went on for about five hours. Several public figures, including Rafi Eitan, Binyamin Ben Eliezer and others said the Israeli government must do everything to insure Gilad Shalit’s release, even if it means freeing Barghouti.

Other officials argued against freeing any terrorists with blood on their hands. To free terrorists will only encourage the enemy to kidnap more soldiers. Victims of terror, families who lost loved ones in terror attacks are against freeing terrorists. Barghouti was apprehended, tried in a court of law, convicted and sentenced for his crimes. End of story! What gives anyone the right to decide that he should be released. What would he do with his freedom? Why kill more Jews of course!! One man who lost three members of his family in a drive by shooting planned by Barghouti cannot understand why anyone would even considers releasing him. What must these families do to convince the government not to release Barghouti? Must they take justice into their own hands?

After Pesach several groups are planning demonstrations against releasing terrorists. I’ll be standing with the protesters. Antisemitism is on the rise worldwide. The Europeans would love to finish the job they started 65 years ago. The nut job in Iran is threatening to wipe Israel off the map. We are surrounded by enemies and our so-called allies are not chomping at the bit to save us. This is not the time to release anyone who has been plotting to kill us and who killed five innocent Jews.

This is not only about a kidnapped soldier. This is about Am Yisrael. By releasing Barghouti we will be responsible for the death of untold numbers of innocent Jews who will fall victim to terror attacks orchestrated by a freed Barghouti.

The same day that Shalit was kidnapped and other soldiers murdered our government should have sent the army into Gaza to find him. They should have remained there until he was found. The same holds for Goldwasser and Regev in Lebanon. They were kidnapped and a war began that was not supposed to end until our soldiers were found. Mismanagement of the war and cowardice on the part of the government caused that failure. Now the government wants to right its wrong by endangering the lives of its citizens by releasing killers so they can kill again.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is in danger of losing his position. He is involved in several scandals that hopefully will force him to resign. He will probably be charged by the Attorney General and will be forced to appear in a court of law to answer charges regarding several illegal activities. In addition, he is responsible for the mismanagement of the Second Lebanon War and Israel’s inability to win that war. He is desperate for any kind of “victory” that will save his political career. He is more than willing to release Barghouti and any other murderer in order to “possibly” free Gilad Shalit. He totally disregards the fact that by releasing Barghouti he will be signing the death warrant for innocent Israelis who will be targeted by the very murderers that he releases from prison.

Barghouti and all the other terrorists in prison are incarcerated because they were duly convicted in a court of law. By releasing these murderers Olmert will be placing himself above the courts and above the law. The citizens of Israel should not let this happen!! Olmert is fond of saying that Israel is a state that is governed by the rule of law. The law has spoken by incarcerating these murderers. Who is he to challenge it?

Tel Shiloh: Past and Present (Friday March 9, 2007)

Today we were privileged to combine a family simcha (joyous occasion) with a visit to an important historical site in the Jewish homeland.

One of our grandsons, Eliyah had turned three years old and was going to have his first haircut (halakah or upsherin). His grandparents, great grandmother, uncles, aunts and cousins were invited to join in the festivities. The upsherin is a rite of passage. In this case the child is completing one developmental stage and moving on to the next. He is no longer a baby. He will now wear tzitzit (fringes) and begin learning brachot (blessings) and the daily prayers. He and his family live in Eli and his parents decided that a guided tour of one of the interesting archeological sites in the area would be an educational experience for both the child and the rest of the family. It is never too early to teach a Jewish child his people’s history.

Tel Shiloh

The historical site we visited is Tel Shiloh, located in the modern yishuv of Shiloh, 20 miles north of Jerusalem and just down the road from Eli.
I was particularly interested in this field trip because I had recently read a book about Shiloh (God, Israel, and Shiloh: Returning to the Land by David Rubin.
Jerusalem: Mazo Publishers, 2007). The author expounds on the historical significance of Shiloh as well as the importance of the modern community. I know people who live there, but I had never visited the place. I was eager to see with my eyes what I had read about and imagined.

We were met at the Visitors Center by our guide Rahel who began the tour with a short film on the history of Shiloh.

Shiloh is mentioned in the Bible.

“The entire assembly of the Children of Israel gathered at Shiloh and erected the Tent of Meeting there…” (Joshua 18:1)

After the Exodus from Egypt and wandering in the wilderness for forty years the Israelites returned to Eretz Yisrael. They were led by Joshua Bin Nun and were commanded by G-d to conquer the Land .

“Moses My servant has died. Now arise, cross this Jordan, you and this entire people, to the land that I give to them, to the Children of Israel. Every place upon which the sole of your foot will tread I have given to you, as I spoke to Moses. From the desert and this Lebanon until the great river, the Euphrates River, all the land of the Hittites until the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your boundary.” (Joshua 1:2-4)


The conquest of the Land took many years. The Israelites established their first capital at a place called Gilgal where they set up the portable Tabernacle or Miskan and remained there for fourteen years.
At this point, Joshua decided it was time to move once again, this time to a more central location. He chose Shiloh. Located in the portion of the Land allotted to the tribe of Ephraim to which Joshua belonged, it stood on the north-south mountain ridge and was considered safe from enemy attack. It overlooked the north-south road known as the Road of the Patriarchs that stretched from Beer Sheba to Hebron to Jerusalem to Shiloh and on to Shechem and then northwards. The town had a nearby water supply known as Shiloh Creek. Joshua did not build the city of Shiloh. It was a Cannanite city with fortified walls: an ideal location from which to continue the conquest of the Land.

Yes, fourteen years had passed and still there were large areas of Eretz Yisrael that were still unconquered. Apparently, even then some factions were not too keen on holding onto our Land.

“…And the Land had been conquered before them, but there was left among the Children of Israel seven tribes that had not yet received their inheritance. Joshua said to the Children of Israel, ‘How long will you wait to come and take possession of the Land that the Lord, God of your fathers has given you?’” (Joshua 18:1-3)

Joshua subdued whatever Cannanite forces remained in Shiloh and established his capital there. He built a permanent Tabernacle or Mishkan with stone walls to house the Ark of the Covenant. Although nothing remains of the Mishkan (there is a model in the Visitor’s Center) it is believed to have occupied a high plateau area that now bears the name Tabernacle Plateau and remained the capital for 369 years. Pilgrimages were made three times a year to Shiloh for the holidays of Sukkot, Pesach and Shavuot.

Many important individuals in Jewish history are associated with Shiloh. A childless woman named Hannah, wife of Elkanah, came to pray at the Tabernacle, asking the Lord for a child. Her prayers were answered and she gave birth to a son. In gratitude she promised to give her son to God for service in the Tabernacle in Shiloh. Her son was Samuel the Prophet, who anointed both King Saul and King David.


The Destruction of Ancient Shiloh
Another important Biblical figure associated with Shiloh is the High Priest or Cohen Hagadol named Eli. His two sons, Hophni and Pinchas , officiated in the Tabernacle in Shiloh and were directly responsible for the destruction of Shiloh. As Cohanim (priests and spiritual leaders), they should have served as examples of high moral standards, honesty and righteousness. Instead they were immoral and corrupt.

“Eli became very old. He heard about all that his sons were doing to all of Israel, and that they would lie with the women who congregated at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting…” (1 Samuel 2:22-23)

“The Lord said to Samuel, ‘Behold, I am going to do (such) a thing in Israel that when anyone hears about it, both of his ears will ring. On that day, I will fulfill for Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. I have told him that I am executing judgment against his house forever for the sin (he committed) that he was aware that his sons were blaspheming, and he didn’t restrain them.” (1 Samuel 11-13)

The Israelites went to war against the Philistines. The battle took place at Even HaEzer (Rosh Ha’Ayin) and the Israelites lost. Four thousand of its soldiers were killed. The remaining warriors decided to bring the Ark of the Covenant to the battlefield assuming it would ensure victory. Both Eli the High Priest and Samuel the Prophet objected to removing the Ark but their protests were ignored. Hophni and Pinchas accompanied the Ark into battle. The Philistines were again victorious. Thirty thousand infantrymen of Israel were killed that day including Hophni and Pinchas. The Philistines marched to Shiloh and destroyed it. It would be fifty-two years before the Ark was once again in a permanent place.

Archeological Evidence of Shiloh
Between 1871-1878 Sir Charles Wilson and Sir Charles Warren headed a team to perform a topographical survey of Biblical Israel west of the Jordan River. They conducted an in-depth survey of Shiloh. In the 1920s and 1930s Danish teams discovered ruins from Ancient Shiloh.

Present Day Excavations:
Three years after the reestablishment of Shiloh (1978) four seasons of excavations were carried out by the Department of Land of Israel Studies of Bar Ilan University. Three major discoveries have been noted:

1. Tabernacle Plateau: the site of the Tabernacle is fairly certain because the measurements of the plateau fit the description in the Bible.
   
2. Jamma-Es-Sitten, a mosque built on the remains of a synagogue from the Second Temple Period
   
3. Reconstructed Byzantine Era Bascilica with mosaic floor probably built on top of a synagogue from an earlier period.
   
4. A mosque built on top of a church built on top of a synagogue. The mosque does not have a foundation of its own. The stones were just placed on top of the church structure.
   

Excavations are ongoing during the summer months, however, the budget for such activities is quite small. The last few governments have not allocated funding for such projects. One might think the government is hesitant to prove Jewish ownership of the land.

Forgotten!
Despite ancient Shiloh’s prominence in Jewish history, after it’s destruction it was relegated to a backpage in history. Although a Jewish presence remained there as evidenced by synagogue ruins dating from the Second Temple Period and the Crusader Era, it did not become a place of pilgrimage as Jerusalem did after the destruction of the Second Temple. There is no indication that people visited Shiloh to weep over the destruction of the Tabernacle as people did over the Wailing Wall for 2,000 years. It is almost as if the corruption of the priests contaminated the physical site.

The New Shiloh

I cannot end this blog without a few words regarding the reestablishment of Shiloh. In 1978 a few families and several singles decided to build a yishuv on the site of ancient Shiloh. To retake possession of the Land that was given to us. From this small beginning, the area now boasts Gush Shiloh consisting of several settlements: Eli, Shevut Rahel, Levonah and Ofrah. Beautiful communities have been built that are now home to thousands of families. What does the future hold for these communities?

Uncertainty!! Not from our enemies, but from our own people.

Ehud Olmert wants to make the area Judenrein by surrendering it to our enemies and creating more homeless, jobless, futureless Jewish refugees such as those from the destroyed communities of Gush Katif and Northern Shomron. He and many others in the Knesset are like the seven tribes who “had not yet received their inheritance…. How long will you wait to come and take possession of the Land that the Lord, God of your fathers has given you?’” Our current leaders believe that if we surrender our Land the Arabs will make peace with us. It doesn’t matter to them if we lose our land, our legacy, our historical underpinnings. History is not important to them.

Shimon Peres said: “It’s a great mistake to learn from history. There is nothing to learn from history.” (Maariv, May 23, 1996).

However, after learning about Shiloh, both its history and its fate, I prefer a different perspective on history: “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” (George Santayana, The Life of Reason, Volume One, 1905)

May we be privileged in our lifetime to witness increased Jewish settlement throughout Biblical Israel from the Jordan to the Prat. Only when we love the Land enough to possess it will we know Peace.

A TESTIMONY OF PERSONAL RESISTANCE


Monday: August 15, 2005

The Day of Reckoning has arrived. Implementation of the Disengagement Plan is beginning today. I spent the morning gathering my supplies of food, water, clothing and packing my sleeping bag. I wasn't sure what my destination would be, but I knew I'd be heading south towards Gush Katif. The general instructions were to head south to Netivot, Ofakim or Sderot and from there groups would organize on their way to the Kisufim Junction outside Gush Katif.

Around 4.30 p.m. we set off in two cars. We were five adults in a van and another three people in a second car. There were reports of roads being closed by the police and additional checkpoints to stop people from converging on the Gush. We decided on our route and surprisingly encountered no obstacles. We arrived in Netivot quickly and were told to go to the Babe Sali's gravesite. Upon arrival there were a lot of people.

Representatives of the Council for the Jewish Communities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza were busy organizing everyone. Vehicle owners were asked to sign up for convoys. People without cars were organized into walking groups. If there were spare places in cars people on foot could have rides.

My husband had driven our van, but he was not staying. He had to return to Jerusalem for meetings the next day. Nor could he drive us to some further point because he could not risk having the car landlocked. We joined the people in the second car. In fact we were actually seven adults in a five-seater. It was risky, but none of us were turning back.

The army and police were beginning to encircle the area. At about 9.00 p.m. the convoys assembled. The drivers met separately for instructions how to drive. At first we were going to drive without headlights, but that idea was abandoned because the fields we traversed were too rough. We drove very slowly, about 15-20 kilometers per hour. We were headed to a place called Re'im. In fact it is about 20 kilometers from Netivot, not very far. But we could not travel by road because we would have been stopped by the police or the army. The entire area, including Re'im, was in a closed military zone. So, we had to find an alternate route over the fields.

Three convoys of about 15 cars each began the journey. We travelled for hours. Sometimes our wheels got stuck in the mud and we, the passengers, would get out and walk along the side of the road for a while and then get back into the car. We were lucky, we never went into a ditch. A few cars did and then the convoy stopped while they were pulled out. The dust was awful and we kept the windows closed. Sometimes we saw the flashing lights of police cars and suddenly the entire convoy would change direction.

RE'IM (Tuesday, August 16, 2005)

Finally, at 2.30-3.00 a.m. we pulled into a road at the side of an orchard. Someone stepped out of the darkness and said "Welcome to Re'im." We had made it. The other two convoys had been stopped, but we made it. We all heaved a sigh of relief. Each driver pulled into a spot and everyone got out of the cars and stretched. It was pitch black.

We began to meet our co-conspirators. There were families with small children. Groups of young people. Our group consisted of three women 50 and over and one woman in her late forties with two teenage children. We had all come together with one purpose in mind: TO STOP THE DISENGAGEMENT!!

We were soon joined by a large group that had walked from Netivot to Re'im. I suppose we numbered about 150 altogether. After we had something to eat and drink we were called to attention by our Navat (navigator) who would lead us to Kisufim. He told us we would be walking on a dirt road between two fields. Be quiet. Don't talk. Don't use cellphones. In fact, turn the phones off.

We began the second stage of our journey at 3.45 a.m. Kisufim is about 8-10 kilometers from Re'im. As we walked down the dirt road, on our left was a large field of sunflowers. The stalks were very tall, many of them towering over my head. The Navat was at the head of the group. Everyone tried to keep up a fast pace. You must realize that we were all carrying backpacks, sleeping bags, and most important of all, large supplies of water. There would be no water at Kisufim.

Suddenly a bright light appeared -- a search light on a jeep. Someone ran back whispering loudly: INTO THE FIELDS! HIDE! INTO THE FIELDS! We all scattered. I jumped into the field and ran deep into the forest of sunflowers and bent down near the ground. The jeep drove by. After waiting a long time we emerged and began walking down the road. About 10 minutes later we heard a vehicle approaching and once again hid in the sunflowers. Another all clear signal. Back to the road. We managed to walk for about 45 minutes, when we heard another vehicle. We ran into the sunflowers, but were unable to penetrate very deeply. We dropped to the ground. Another vehicle approached from the opposite direction. We heard car doors opening. Men came to the edge of the field and told us to get out. I didn't move, thinking, I could lie still and conceal myself but they had spotted me and just about everyone else. Slowly we all came forward.

One man in a pickup truck said he was the owner of the field and accused us of damaging his property and crop. There were also soldiers, Border Police and an awful looking dog -- a mastiff I believe. They told us we were in a military zone and our presence in the area was illegal. They told us to return to where we came from. After about 20 minutes they drove off. The Navat had disappeared. Obviously, he and a few others had successfully eluded the police and soldiers. We continued for a short distance and saw a military base with soldiers. If we approached any closer we would be seen and quickly apprehended. One individual -- a man -- took charge and said we should return to the area where we left the cars. He kept repeating himself and shepherding everyone back to the rear. After a while there were only about 20 of us left on the road. We saw two paths running off into the fields. We had not noticed them earlier. Some of us thought we should try that route, but then we realized none of us knew where we were going. We were unfamiliar with the area and really needed a guide. We stood around deliberating what to do next. Then we began talking about the man who had convinced so many of the group to return to the parking area. We were very suspicious of him. We began to wonder how the owner of the field knew we were there. Supposedly he had called the army.

After waiting around for another 30 minutes (thinking the guide might show up again) we returned to our base camp. All the people were there except the guy who had appointed himself the new leader and who had encouraged everyone to return. He was an infiltrator -- a Shabaknik -- and had probably been the very person who had notified the authorities of our presence. They work for the Shabak. They are spies who spy on their fellow Jews. We all realized we had to be very careful about what we said and to whom we said it. You don't know who to trust anymore.

Another organizer was on hand who announced that we could sleep in the orchard and remain there during the day and then attempt another trek to Kisufim under cover of darkness. If people did not want to try again they could leave in their cars and retrace their route through the fields. Quite a few people left. They had made their attempt to reach Gush Katif, but had failed.

We decided to stay. I had taken a week off from work for this effort and I wasn't about to give up this easily. We walked into the orchards, found a place to unroll our sleeping bags and prepared to go to sleep. It was already 5.30 a.m. Needless to say we did not sleep long.

I woke up at about 7.00 a.m. Everyone was beginning to stir. Across the clearing an elderly couple were waking up. I had noticed them the night before. He was tall with white hair and he walked with a slight limp. Now, I noticed he was busy holding something long. Suddenly, I realized he was putting on an artificial leg. Even this disability was not going to stop him from reaching Gush Katif. Such dedication.

We found a faucet so we had some running water. We called a general meeting to decide what to do. The woman whose car we had ridden in decided to return to Jerusalem with her two kids. They had had enough. That left us on foot, but we were not ready to go home. Ironically, when our friend tried to drive out the army stopped her. They said she could not exit the area. It was so ridiculous. They kept on telling us that we couldn't stay in the area, yet they would not let her leave. Finally, she found an alternate route.

The army told us we could not remain in the area and then they drove off. We had a group discussion and decided we would stay in the orchard during the day. If necessary we would leave and hide in a different orchard. In other words, play cat and mouse with the authorities.
I tried to sleep but the heat was so oppressive that I couldn't fall asleep. Besides, I was too excited. So, I functioned on adrenalin alone. I did succeed in reading some of the paperback I brought along.

Around 12.30 or 1.30 p.m. word got around that we were moving out. We told someone we were carless. We were put in the back of an old old American car. That's alright -- it moved. All the cars moved out to another orchard. The vehicles were backed in amongst the trees. It was too hot to sit in the car. Everyone got out and lay down on the ground. Luckily we had a nice breeze. Again everyone tried to get some sleep. We also ate some food. After we were in our new location for about an hour someone from Kibbutz Alumim came by. Nice guy. He brought us some apples and water.

He said we would be wasting our time going to Kisufim because as soon as someone appeared there the police arrested them. He related a bizarre event. He said a convoy of cars had succeeded in reaching Kisufim. The people told the army and police they did not want to enter Gush Katif, but wanted to demonstrate at the junction. The army officer in charge told them to come over and talk. They all exited their cars and walked over to him. When they returned to their cars all the keys were gone and they were arrested.

We acquired a new member. From Ofakim. I knew he was legit because he brought greetings to me from my son-in-law. After a few discussions it was decided that we had a new mission. Instead of heading for Kisufim we would go to Gama Junction where the tent city for the soldiers was located. The buses sent to carry out the inhabitants of the Gush originated from Gama. We would assemble there in large numbers and sit on the road. There were several groups of people in the area and we would all converge on this point.

THE ROAD TO GAMA

Around 4.30 p.m. we left our hiding place, formed another convoy and headed for the main road. We found an access point and crossed the main highway. We arrived at a wadi where we hid the cars and ourselves until dark. Other small groups joined us. The drivers were apprehensive about leaving their cars in this isolated spot. How would they retrieve them? We sat around in small groups talking, eating and preparing ourselves. It was a known fact that we would probably get arrested. But if we could hold off the disengagement or stop it altogether it would be worth the price.

Just as we prepared to leave the wadi on foot a jeep with two soldiers and a policeman showed up. The policeman told us we could not leave the immediate area and tried to block our way, but we just walked around him. We knew that other jeeps would be nearby and that our movements would be monitored.

We climbed up out of the wadi. There were steep hills that were not easy to negotiate. In my normal life I do nearly 20 hours of exercise a week: an hour of strenuous walking with weights every day as well as hours in the workout room in a gym and three group exercise classes a week. All of this effort paid off. I was much more agile than many of my companions. Once we reached the top of the hill it was easier and made good progress along what appeared to be a dirt road. Then a jeep appeared and we all ran from the road to the rough terrain where the jeep could not follow us. Lots of rocks and boulders. Slow progress. It was getting darker and we could hear a helicopter overhead. It was still very hot and the sweat was running down my face, arms and back.

We stopped and did a head count. Everyone had a number. We didn't want to leave anyone behind. Another jeep appeared to our left. We had to run for the fields. They weren't really fields. They consisted of rows of trenches. Each one about half a meter deep. So you had a choice of stepping down into each trench or gully and then climbing out to the high ground and then going down into the next trench. Alternatively, you could hop over the trenches landing on the higher ground. But sometimes that high ground had a pipe running along the top. If I jumped over the trenches without thinking then I was ok, but if I thought about what I was doing then I would fall and fall I did several times. But I got right back up and continued on.

It got darker and darker. I had a flashlight but didn't dare to use it. Eventually we got to an area where we could just walk along the higher ground between the trenches. Narrow but doable. A young woman walked in front of me and she had reflectors on her shoes. This was a great help. She stayed with me all the way and was very helpful and caring. It seemed as if this part of the journey went on forever. Although young people had offered to take my backpack and sleeping bag several times I always refused. However, we were running now and speed was of the utmost importance. I surrendered my equipment to a young man. We were all running. There were jeeps around us, far away, but they could not reach us.

GAMA (9:30 p.m.)

At last we saw bright lights in the distance and new we were approaching Gama. We were going to make it! We had outwitted the army and the police. We found a path through some bushes and suddenly we were just 3 meters beyond the road. When we emerged we saw several hundred people sitting in the middle of the road. There were army vehicles in front of the crowd. They could not pass on the road. As I went to take a seat a young woman stood up and embraced me. She had been in the group that had attempted to reach Kisufim. When she had been turned back she had left and returned to Netivot. She had joined up with another group that eventually made its way to Gama. She recognized me and greeted me with Mazel Tov and Kol Hakovod!!

We found ourselves in the front row on the ground. Shlomo Cohen from Kohav Ya'acov had become the leader of the group. He found a microphone and began talking to the crowd. We began singing songs and then a group of young men began reading Tehillim. There were reporters and photographers all around us. Also the army photographer who was carefully using a digital camera to capture all our faces. I suppose there is a huge database that compares all these photos to driver's licenses or something. Big brother knows who we are, where we live and how to apprehend us. Not surprising in this dictatorship that Sharon has established.

More and more people kept arriving. I stood up at one point and looked behind me. I think there were between 800 and 1000 people. We were all exhausted. Our journey had taken about 2-2 and a half hours. Others had walked further: some from Netivot, some from Kfar Maimon. I leaned back on my backpack and drank a lot of water. I was too tired to eat. But I was happy and excited. We had accomplished our goal. Some of my companions thought we would be there all night long and into the day. I explained to them that even if we held out all night we could not survive long in the heat of the day.

We chanted "A Jew does not evict a Jew;" "Policeman, soldier we love you." Soldiers and police and border police were all over and they did not look too happy. We had stopped them. They couldn't run over us -- at least not with the foreign press around. Someone said we should walk to Gush Katif and the crowd started to get up. But then others said no. Stay here and stop the buses. Everyone sat down again.

There was no spokesman for the army/police. No one negotiated with us. No one said you better get up or we will remove you by force. We just sat on the ground, shared food, passed around water, recited Tehillim and sang.

Around midnight there was a shout. Link arms, link arms. I quickly intertwined my arms with the two women on either side of me. Something was happening but the action and movement was coming from behind me. I heard young men shouting "Don't touch the girls. Don't touch the girls." Another said "Don't touch the Savtot." I remember hearing that -- he was referring to us! I knew who said this. We had been talking earlier. We are neighbors. Both from Ramot Alef. The next thing I knew he was flying through the air above my head.

The Border Police and Police were grabbing everyone and were quite brutal about it. There were no policewomen, only men although there were lots of policewomen in the area. The police grabbed boys and girls around their necks and dragged them away. Others were grabbed by their arms and legs and were carried long distances and then thrown on the ground. Others were punched.

A policeman grabbed my left arm, raised it over my head and pulled it backwards. He then dragged me by my arm about 50-60 meters. I was yelling at him to stop all the time. I was fortunate to be wearing my backpack. It protected my back. When he reached the side of the road he just dropped me. I anticipated this so I held my head up so it wouldn't hit the asphalt. Just for the record I am 56 years old. An older woman of 70 or older was treated in a similar manner.

After a few seconds I started to get up. Two young people, a boy and a girl, ran to my side and insisted on helping me. They asked if I was ok. The girl was crying and the youth was agitated. Young people were running into the fields. I thought about doing this myself, but hesitated. I had made it through the fields once, but I was not confident that I could negotiate them a second time with policemen chasing me. Besides I had seen a large number of Border Police enter the fields earlier. I began walking in the direction where I had sat on the road. I was looking for my friends, but did not find them. Then the police formed a wall that moved towards us in order to close in on us. We were between the policemen and the fields. They brought in buses and herded us onto them. I evaded them as long as I could. Eventually I got on a bus.

As soon as the bus was full it began moving. A policemen and a policewoman were on each bus, but they did not speak with the passengers. The children were hysterical. They were crying and wringing their hands. The adults were trying to comfort them.

Some of my group were on the bus. One woman called Honenu -- an organization of lawyers who give legal advice to people who are arrested for resisting or opposing the Disengagement. I asked her for the number and called as well. They told me not to cooperate with the police. Not to give my name or ID number. Exercise your right to silence. Do not agree to be fingerprinted or photographed. The person I spoke with said that thousands of people were being apprehended, but that neither the police nor the courts could handle the numbers and it was almost definite that we would simply be released.

We asked the police where we were being taken, but they would not tell us. One woman was yelling at the policemen, calling them Nazis. A man of about 60 said to them: "Why did you pull my beard? He almost pulled part of it out! That's what the Germans did to my father in WWII." There were two Habadnikim on the bus. The police had pulled their hats and kippot off and stomped on them on the ground.

Some people spoke of a young woman injured and lying on the ground with a broken leg or arm. They said when bystanders asked for a medic to help her the police replied saying that no medics were available. This is inconceivable since we were in an army base. People asked for her to be transported in an ambulance, but the police said she would only be sent out on a bus. I did not see this, I only heard about it. However, I saw enough brutality. And I want to call your attention to the fact that none of the police or border police were wearing name tags as is the regulation. They were told to take them off. There was no way to identify anyone by name. This is absolutely illegal.

I leaned back in my seat and starred out the window. It didn't take long to figure out our destination. First Askelon and then Tel Aviv. At 1.30 a.m. we were put off the bus at the train station in North Tel Aviv. Naturally there are no buses or trains at that time of night. There were young teens who had to get home. We checked that they had money for a sherut or could stay with someone in Tel Aviv until the morning. A lot of people had to get to Jerusalem. We managed to fill up two sheruts. The ride up to Jerusalem was very long that night. My husband met me at Binyenei Ha-uma and we went home.

CONCLUSIONS

Gains vs. losses? Victory vs. defeat? We survived for two days in the field and defied all attempts by the army or police to stop us. We were right to do this. As I emerged from the fields and joined the other protestors at Gama I felt as if this was one of the most important days of my life. No Jew should be evicted from his home. And no other Jew should stand by quietly and let it happen. All the people in Gush Katif and Northern Shomron who are being driven from their homes are heroes. They have endured terrorist attacks, bombardment by kassam rockets and artillery shells. They have been steadfast in the face of the enemy. And how do we repay them -- the government throws them out of their homes! Good people. Hardworking people! They serve in the army, they contribute to the economic growth of the country.

This is not right. This is immoral. This is inhuman. I could not stand by and let this happen without protesting. I refuse to be a bystander.

Sharon's Disengagement Plan has:
1. Rewarded terror and encourages more terror.
2. Torn the country apart by ordering Jews to drive other Jews from their homes.
3. Destroyed the bond between the people and the army. Instead of the army defending Jews and Eretz Yisrael Sharon has enlisted the army to fight Jewish civilians and drive them from their homes where they have lived for 30 years.
4. Made a mockery of Israeli Democracy: the plan was bulldozed through the Knesset by bribery, threats and dismissal of all government officials who opposed him. No discussion, no debate.

My perspective has changed. I no longer have any faith in the Army. Not all orders should be obeyed and those ordering Jews to be driven from their homes should have been refused en masse. Every individual can choose between good and evil. That includes every soldier and policeman. They have failed the test.

Most of the public remained silent. I know countless people who said they opposed the Disengagement, but they did not attend any demonstrations, did not travel to Gush Katif or northern Shomron. They did not get involved. Bystanders!!

I will not remark on the silence of international Jewry. That is the subject of another entry.

I dwell on the fact that Jewish policemen and Jewish Border Police beat up or roughed up young and old alike. They came in with fists swinging and did not for one moment think "Hey, that's my brother, a fellow Jew." Apparently, we do not stand together anymore. We cannot depend on each other anymore. We are not one people anymore. Our oneness has been shattered -- by Arik Sharon and those without the courage to refuse to abet his plan to surrender to Arab Terror.

August 2-4, 2005

SDEROT and OFAKIM

Well, I've just turned over my sleeping bag to air out the other side. No, I haven't returned from a camping trip to Galiee or the Golan, nor have I come back from a trip to the Sinai. I've come home from Ofakim where another attempt was made to reach Gush Katif. But let's begin at the beginning.

Once again Moetzet Yesha (the Council for the Communities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza) organized another rally and march to Gush Katif. This time it was held in Sderot.

Well, Yesha's original plan was to have it in three towns: Sderot, Ofakim and Netivot. Almost immediately the Police objected. No, Yesha could only have in one location for the march. Fine, Yesha decided to have the meeting point in Sderot. The police object for several reasons. First, Sderot is too close to Gush Katif. They figured that too many protesters might actually be able to make it into Gush Katif. Second, Sderot is basically a war zone. Kassam rockets are fired on Sderot on a regular basis. Lately the government and the army are doing less and less to implement countermeasures such as finding the launch sites for the Kassams and destroying them or launching artillery barrages to discourage the Palestinians from firing the rockets. The army is too busy preparing to implement the Disengagement Plan that will force 10,000 Jews out of their homes, where they have lived for decades. Sharon and company realized it would look really bad if 50,000-60,000 or more protesters arrived in Sderot for a prolonged stay and suddenly Palestinians began firing Kassam rockets into the crowds. There was a potential for massive casualties and that wouldn't look good for Sharon who repeatedly claims that once the Gazan settlements are emptied of Jews Israelis will be more secure. Yesha objected resulting in a stalemate.

Yesha was determined to hold the march. The police were determined to stop it. It looked like a repeat of Kfar Maimon two weeks earlier. Except it is much more difficult to close off and lay siege to a town of several thousand people than to a small community of 180 families. The police threatened to stop the chartered buses once more.

Several government ministers thought the demonstrators should be allowed to march. After all, Israel is supposed to be a democracy. Sharon removed the topic from discussion at a cabinet meeting. Hm, sounds like suppression of free speech to me! After much negotiation, threats and counter-threats an agreement was reached. Yesha could have a rally in Sderot, but after the rally (which the police wanted to end by 10 p.m.) the demonstrators could only travel to Ofakim where they could stay for several days. The police really wanted everything to end before Shabbat August 5.

Tuesday: August 2, 2005 SDEROT

We left Jerusalem for Sderot around 4.30 p.m. We had our own vehicle (didn't want to risk being on a bus and having it stopped by the police). Thousands of cars on the road all with orange ribbons and flags, all headed for the same place. We arrived about 6:00 p.m. What a traffic jam! Trying to find a place to park took time and great patience. Lots of police and soldiers too. We walked to the area designated for the rally. Lots of people were there already! As we walked through the streets of Sderot many of the local people were out on balconies and we waved to them.

I have great admiration for the people of Sderot (a development town in the Negev). Palestinians have targeted this town for months with Kassam rockets. When the people complain that the government is not doing anything to defend them a few ministers make a photo-op appearance in the town for a few hours and then ride off into the sunset. End of story!!! The municipality's pleas for better defense and protection have fallen on deaf ears. Until recently, Sderot tried to distance itself from the Disengagement issue, but recently it has come to realize that once the Gaza settlements are destroyed Sderot will become the front line. It is in their interest to join forces with Yesha and oppose the Disengagement.

The program began at 7:00 p.m. We sat on a large grassy area and listened to speeches by Knesset Members (Uzi Landau, Natan Sharansky, Zvi Hendel, Effie Eitam, Eli Yeshai); Rabbis (Haim Druckman, Menahem Porush, Kaminetsky and others); Yesha representatives (Pinchas Wallenstein, Benzi Liberman and others.).

The main points were:

1. Eretz Yisrael is not for sale.

2. We should not reward terrorism by unilateral withdrawal.

3. We should not take Jews out of their homes.

4. The army should not be used to implement the Disengagement Plan.

5. The huge number of army, police and border police personnel being trained to force Jews out of their homes should be used to fight the Palestinian terrorists.

It became known that a group of twenty-nine women were leaving to march to Gush Katif. They set out on their own. Later that night it was announced that they were apprehended and taken to a prison. During the night all of them were released except for Daniella Weiss, who claims she was roughed up and man-handled by the police. ALL TRUE I'M SURE. For those unfamiliar with her name, Daniella has been a dominant figure in the Gush Emunim settlement movement, which has restored Jewish life to Judea, Samaria, Gaza and the Golan Heights. She was elected mayor of Kedumim in 1996 and re-elected for a second term in November 2001.

When the speeches ended we sang HaTikvah and were told to leave in an orderly manner for Ofakim.

Once we got to our car we sat in traffic for one hour without moving. There was only one exit out of Sderot to Ofakim or so the police said. We tried a couple of alternate routes that didn't pan out, but my persistent and resourceful husband found a path across a field that was wide enough for a car and we arrived at an accessible road that took us out of Sderot within minutes. Later, I was to learn that most people spent three hours getting out of Sderot.

We, however, spent the night in a nearby moshav called Tukumah.

Wednesday: August 3, 2005 OFAKIM

We arrived in Ofakim about 8:30 a.m. after a good night's sleep in a regular bed. All the demonstrators were settled into a huge park next to the industrial zone. There were thousands and thousands of people. Tents were set up all over and areas had signs indicating where the inhabitants originated from. There was a group from Kedumim, Gush Etzion, Haifa, Carmel, etc. Not everyone had tents. Lots of people had sleeping bags and were asleep on the ground.

There were stands selling water, soft drinks, ice cream, cakes, sandwiches etc. Multiple electrical outlets where you could charge a cell phone. Vendors selling Gush Katif hats, bracelets, tote bags, etc. Television crews were in abundance, photographers all over the place and reporters roaming around looking for interviewees.

Large tents were set up for lectures and shiurim. Loudspeakers announced a schedule of activities for adults, youth and children. Frequent reminders were made that everyone should drink a lot of water, wear a hat and try to stay in the shade as much as possible.

We began walking around the park area. I was particularly eager to look for people I knew. My husband had to return to Jerusalem and I preferred connecting with a small group that I could camp out with. Within minutes I met several women acquaintances from Jerusalem and they were happy to have me join their company. I was delighted. They had arrived by bus to Sderot the night before -- all carrying sleeping bags and backpacks. They had arrived in Ofakim from Sderot at about 1 a.m.

By 11 a.m. we were listening to a lecture being given by a career officer in the Israel Defense Forces. He left the army in protest against the Disengagement Plan. He refused to play any part in making part of Eretz Yisrael Judenrein. He was giving a lesson on how to persuade soldiers to refuse participation in forcing fellow Jews out of their homes. He gave examples of how to engage soldiers in conversation and how to convince them to refuse or at the very least to think about what they were intending to do. We received colorful printed material on this subject and were asked to go out later in the afternoon to meet with several groups of soldiers who were stationed around Ofakim on duty to help stop us if we tried to continue on to Gush Katif.

Yesha had a huge tent where they were selling hot meals for lunch -- meat and vegetarian -- at very low prices. You have to understand that large families had come to this gathering. Families with 8-10 kids and they could not afford regular restaurant prices. I must, once again (see my blog on Kfar Maimon) , express my admiration for all the families who showed up with small children -- infants and toddlers. Living out of a tent or out of sleeping bags and backpacks is not easy at the best of times. Compound this with the oppressive heat, use of portable toilets, lack of privacy and all the other inconveniences that result when a large number of people gather in one area and you realize how much these people are dedicated to Eretz Yisrael. There is no other population in this country that would do this except the nationalists (religious and secular). The people who are willing to do all that is necessary to prevent Eretz Yisrael from being given away, piece by piece. Kol Hakovod!!!


After lunch I tried to sit quietly in a shady spot under a tree and read. It was hard to concentrate in the heat.

PANIM EL PANIM (FACE TO FACE)

At 5 p.m. we were invited to accompany Ariel Zilber around Ofakim to meet the soldiers and speak with them. Ariel Zilber is an Israeli folksinger who is against the Disengagement. Several months ago he moved to Gush Katif. Of course, this did not help his career as a singer. The entertainment community in Israel is very leftwing and distanced itself from him. However, he believes that Jews do not evict Jews from their homes and his principles are more important than his career.

He has written several songs about the Disengagement, the most popular being "A Jew Does Not Evict/Throw out a Jew (יהודי לא מגורש יהודי). He sat on a truck playing his music and we walked behind him. We walked around Ofakim visiting three army encampments. Each time the soldiers saw us approaching they ran to form a tight line either holding hands or intertwining their arms and forming a line that would prevent anyone breaking through. As we approached police came to stand in front and behind the line of soldiers. We offered them candy and bottles of cold water. They refused to take anything. Obviously, they had been told not to take anything. We began talking to them. They were obviously uncomfortable. One woman soldier asked if we were from Gush Katif. When no one answered in the affirmative she asked "Then why are you here? Why are you concerned that the people in Gush Katif are being taken out? Why is it so important for you?" We tried to explain that all Jews should be concerned for each other. This seemed a new concept to her. We queried whether they had thought about their actions. Most said they were following orders.

Their commanding officers were nearby listening to every word they said and discouraging them from speaking with us. We tried to hand out some literature to them, but they refused to take it. We left some on the ground, thinking one or two might take it after we had walked away.

There was a young woman in our group who began to cry. We asked her what was wrong? She said she was from Haifa. She had been in the army. Only recently, had she become religious. She felt that it would be easier for her to talk to the soldiers since she knew what it was like to be in the army, but after she had spoken with them she felt she and they were worlds apart with nothing in common. Even though she had been in the army and told to obey orders she felt that the soldiers should refuse to carry out the Disengagement. We tried to calm her down, but she just wept and wept.

It is interesting to note that every time we approached a line of soldiers one officer came toward us with a video camera and made sure he got all of our faces on film. I suppose our faces will be included in a gigantic file labeled "right wing extremists." Is this what Israel is turning into -- a police state, a dictatorship where everyone who opposes the government line is photographed and kept on file for future reference?

This was an exhausting walk that lasted two and a half hours. I can only hope that we had an impact on some of the soldiers. That they should think about what they are about to do! That they should realize these are very unusual orders. Usually the army is asked to protect Jews, whereas here they are being asking to force Jews out of their rightful home! We tried to tell them that if they decide to carry out these orders they should do so with as much compassion and regret as possible! That they should not be proud of what they are doing! It was hard to make eye contact with the soldiers, but occasionally we succeeded. What I saw was doubt, fear, and tears.

We returned to the center of Ofakim. People were gathering in a large area where a platform had been erected. An announcer with a loudspeaker was calling everyone to gather around. A second rally was in progress in downtown Ofakim. Soon there were thousands and standing room only. We heard from Yitzhak Levy, Gila Finkelstein, David Levy, Rabbi Druckman, the mayor of Ofakim, Pinchas Wallenstein and Benzi Liberman. They announced that after the rally we would begin our march to Gush Katif.

We had been away for hours visiting the soldiers and did not know that we were going to begin the march so soon. We did not have our backpacks because we had left them in the park. If the demonstrators were going to sleep out in the fields we had no sleeping bags, water or food. Not good! We decided to walk back to the park and get our belongings. Who knows? Perhaps we would be allowed to go all the way to Gush Katif.

You must realize that we are not familiar with Ofakim. We were a long long way from the park. We asked directions several times and were told there, there, there. We passed a couple of fast food places with TV sets. We could see the police and soldiers harrassing the marchers when they were only a kilometer out of Ofakim. We weren't optimistic.

We were beginning to think we were lost. We saw two young girls sitting on some steps and asked if we were close to the park. Suddenly, an older woman appeared behind them, their grandmother. She asked where we were from and invited us into her courtyard. We told her we were there for the demonstration and were headed to the park to pick up our belongings and then catch up with the marchers. She insisted that we have some fruit and something to drink. She ended up telling us her life story, how she was born in Morocco and came to Israel when she was 18 and lived her whole life in Ofakim. She had 9 children, but none of them lived in Ofakim. She wanted us to stay for a meal but we had to get back. She walked with us for about a block and then said Shalom. A wonderful woman, so friendly and such hospitality.

We finally straggled into the park at 12:15 a.m. Most of the people had left to go on the march but there were several people left in the park. Some people with small children chose not to go and some singles had also stayed behind. We were so exhausted, we just dragged our gear under a thin canopy and unrolled our sleeping bags. Within a few minutes I was asleep. At around 2 a.m. I woke up hearing voices. Some teenagers had just arrived in the park. I asked them what happened? They said the police and army had stopped the marchers. Most people were too tied to return and just slept on the side of the road and on the grass at traffice circles. These young people had been at the end of the march and decided to make their way back to the park. Stragglers arrived throughout the night.

In the morning the park was full of people again. Many more had returned. At 11:00 a.m. we were given an update. The marchers had been stopped, but several hundred individuals had reached Gush Katif by alternate routes. Rabbi Haim Druckman said that one local reporter/photographer (remember the local media is not a friend of the anti-Disengagement people) said to him: "Aside from all political issues, I want to tell you that no other group of people in Israel would do what these people are doing. No other group thinks anything is important enough to warrant sleeping on roadsides or in parks, to endure such discomfort as the oppressive heat, etc."

Pinchas Wallenstein said the head of the Galilee Council called him and said: "I envy you your people. I wish I had them." Yesha announced that people were staying in the park everyday and night. Those who thought they needed to leave to recuperate before the next march should do so. There would be continuing efforts to reach Gush Katif.

You must realize that thousands of police and soliders had been diverted to Ofakim. This is good. While they are watching us they can't practice for the evacuation. We weaken their resolve.

I decided there was little more I could do and decided to return to Jerusalem on a 2 p.m. bus. I was exhausted and worn out from the heat. I needed to gather strength for the next phase of the struggle.

I would like to end this entry with a quote I read in an article:

FOR THE ETERNAL PEOPLE A LONG JOURNEY IS NOT A HARDSHIP!!

THE ROAD TO KFAR MAIMON

For the past two to three weeks the Council of Jewish Communities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza (Moetzet Yesha) planned a three day march to Gush Katif. The march was to be conducted in three stages: Netivot to Kfar Maimon on day one; Tsomet (Junction Raim) on day two; and to Kisufim Junction and onward if possible to Gush Katif on day three. This was announced on the radio and printed announcements were distributed throughout the country. It was not a secret. Thousands were expected to participate. I participated in this event and I would like to share my experiences with you. Just for the record I work full time eight hours a day, five days a week. I took three days vacation to participate in this event. As you well know I am strongly against the Disengagement – a psychobabble word for RETREAT. I will not be a bystander. I will not keep silent. No matter what the outcome -- whether the retreat will be carried out or not --the day after I want to be able to look at myself in the mirror and know that I did all I could to protest this injustice. To know that I did not condone or stand silently by while Eretz Yisrael was cut up and given to the enemy. In future when my grandchildren ask me where I was at the time I can say with all honesty that I stood for Eretz Yisrael and the Jewish People.

Day One: Monday July 18, 2005
The march was divided into stages. People were to meet in the town of Netivot on Monday July 18 at 4.00 p.m. A large parking area was available for those who traveled in their own vehicles. Thousands of others were arriving in chartered buses. It was my original intention to travel by bus. Buses were to leave from a central point (Binyenei Hauma) in Jerusalem at 3 p.m. However, my youngest son convinced me to go with him. He was part of a group going from the development town of Ofakim where he had spent his last year in high school in a Bnei Akiva program called Shelef. The group consisted of teenagers, young adults and married couples with children. Since it was an organized group they would provide meals as well. I accepted the offer. We still had to get to Netivot. Instead of taking the bus, my husband offered to drive us so we went in a private vehicle.

Estimates regarding participation ranged from 30,000 to 50,000. As we were driving down to Netivot we heard the hourly news broadcast on the radio. The Prime Minister ordered the Israeli Police to stop all the chartered buses that were headed to Netivot . Police cars went to central locations in all the large cities where these buses were waiting for their passengers, boarded the buses and announced that the people would not be allowed to start their journey. They told the people to disembark and go home. When the bus drivers offered any resistance the police confiscated their drivers license. Where buses were already on the road police cars were dispatched to overtake them and order them to return to their point of departure.

Thousands of people were left stranded. However, they refused to be stopped. As soon as the public became aware of what was happening, friends, relatives and even strangers offered to drive people to Netivot. Others began walking on the roads determined to get there at any cost. The two former chief rabbis of Israel had been on buses and were forced to get off. They began walking to Netivot. Families with little children and babies in strollers began walking down highways to Netivot in heat of the day. Hence, when we arrived an announcement was made that people had called to ask that we wait for them. They were coming from Kiryat Shmoneh, from Eilat, from Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa and many other places but they would be late and would not be arriving by bus. Buses that left other communities such as yishuvim and settlements managed to evade the witchhunt.

Later in the afternoon as we waited another announcement was made by the government and the police. We would not be allowed to march from Netivot to Kfar Maimon – the first leg of our journey to Gush Katif.

I must mention that there was considerable public protest over the police preventing the buses from reaching their destination. Even some of the “civil rights” organizations that are left wing and not very supportive of any actions by the right criticized the police as going too far. Even they recognized everyone’s right to protest.

While we were delayed in Netivot we listened to speeches by the organizers who emphasized non-violence. They did not want to see any confrontation between the marchers and the army or the police. They stressed the fact that we and the army and police are the same people who should be fighting our common enemy and not each other.

Finally at 8 p.m. the march organizers received permission to proceed to Kfar Maimon. We started out at 9 p.m. By that time many of the people who had been put off buses had managed to reach Netivot and more were coming.

Slowly we began to pour out of the public gathering place where we had waited for hours onto the road. Everyone followed the same route. You could not deviate and take shortcuts. Finally we were underway. Who were we? A montage of Israelis. Young couples with children. Children in strollers, back carriers and front carriers. Older children holding their parents’ hands or being cared for by older siblings. At least one parent had a huge backpack with supplies for three days. In our group teenagers and young adults helped those couples who had several children. My son and I watched over two brothers (aged 7 and 8) while their parents dealt with three younger children and supplies.

As people walked they talked. It was natural to ask the person next to you “Where are you from?” It soon became obvious that this was a crosssection of Israel. Secular and religious. Natonal religious and Haredi. Men and women. High school students, University students, clerks, teachers, University professors, doctors, lawyers. From Meveseret Ziyon, from Jerusalem, Haifa, Tel Aviv, Kiryat Arba, Efrat, Ramat Hagolan, Kiryat Shmoneh etc. etc.

People sang songs, they talked, played word games to pass the time. Everyone carried bottles of water. Even though it was night time the air was oppressively hot. If someone ran out of water there was always someone with extra who was willing to share. There was a wonderful camaraderie of purpose.

We were still being watched by the police. We walked along a public road . On the right hand side was a line of policemen on horseback. On the left side of the road were two lines of foot soldiers and police. Many of them held light sticks. Thousands of personnel were present. They were not there to protect the marchers. They were there to insure that the marchers would not get to Gush Katif. That the marchers would not proceed further than Kfar Maimon. I have lived in Israel 35 years and this was the first time that the army and police have been trained to look upon a large portion of the Jewish population as the enemy.

Many of the marchers said Good Evening to them. Asked them if they wanted water. Some of the women soldiers and policewomen were crying. Some soldiers said to us: “We are proud of you. Keep doing what you are doing. We are with you.”

After walking for about two hours we suddenly came to a halt. News filtered backwards that the Mishmar HaGivul decided we could not proceed to Kfar Maimon. That we must turn around and retrace our steps. Everyone stopped, many sat down. Others took the opportunity to organize Mariv prayers. Some people said we could take shortcuts off the road. Almost immediately helicopters with searchlights began sweeping the area and following those who wished to continue the journey off the road. Other people said we could go through the fields on the right side of the road and evade the soldiers. However, it was pitch black and people with baby strollers could not negotiate this route with ease. Most of us just sat quietly in the road resting while the Yesha organizers negotiated with the government. About an hour later we resumed our journey.

There was one man who walked the entire way despite the fact that he had metal crutches and metal braces on his legs. I don’t know where he found the strength. He also carried a backpack and a bottle of water across his chest.

By this time it was very late at night. Children were tired. Babies and toddlers were handed over from exhausted parents to friends, relatives and strangers who offered to relieve them for awhile. We all carried children. Finally we reached the turnoff for Kfar Maimon. I thought to myself that “Oh, at last, five more minutes and we can stop.” But we weren’t there yet. We still had a 4 kilometer journey. The road was not that wide and it went up and down like a rollercoaster. By this time it was wall to wall people with little room to maneuver.

This route was also lined with police and soldiers. We were always under surveillance. However, we had musical accompaniment. My son met some friends of his who were carrying guitars. They broke into songs about Eretz Yisrael and began dancing all the way to Kfar Maimon. The crowd joined in. I saw parents carrying sleeping toddlers in their arms. They (the parents) were practically walking with their eyes closed but their lips were moving singing in unison. It was amazing. It was as if the young people’s singing and their enthusiasm infused us with energy and strength to make the final push up the hill to our destination.

At last we turned into the actual community. We still had to find our place of accommodation. As I mentioned earlier I was with a group from Ofakim and they had brought tents and supplies to this community days in advance before the police had closed off the area. As we walked people detached themselves from the crowd and found areas where they could unroll a sleeping bag and put down a backpack. They opened blankets on the ground and put sleeping children to bed.

We found ourselves in the yard of one particular family. They had a huge shed and we set up our kitchen area there. The boys in our group erected tents in the yard (a very large one). I had a single tent. The young women had several tents. The largest were for families with children and the young men had one tent and the rest just unrolled their sleeping bags on the ground. It was about 1.30 a.m. by this time. Then everyone helped to prepare a hot meal (hot dogs, salad and soup). By the time I crawled into my tent it was 3 a.m. I began to wonder where all the thousands of people were going to stay, but I soon succumbed to exhaustion.

Day Two: Tuesday July 19, 2005
I awoke at 6.30 a.m. When I left my tent and made my way to the front of the house and packing shed where our meals were prepared I was amazed. Many more people had arrived during the few hours that I slept. All available space was filled. People were asleep on the lawn in sleeping bags or sitting in small groups surrounded by backpacks, bottles of water etc.

After breakfast I decided to find a spot of shade and relax, read a little and perhaps get a little more sleep. The gracious family who allowed us to camp out in their yard also allowed us to use their bathroom facilities. We just lined up outside their front door or back door and waited in line. One could even take a shower in their house. An elderly woman who had arrived on her own with a backpack and sleeping bag was stretched out on their lawn. She must have been 70. As soon as our hosts saw her they insisted that she stay in their home in a spare bedroom.

At midday we ventured down to the the main road in the yishuv. We were headed to the Beit Knesset to listen to a shiur to be given by the Rav Mordechai Elon. I tried to enter the women’s section but it was full. The entire Beit Knesset was full. The Rav Elon appeared and announced that he would give the shir outside where many more people could be accommodated. He insisted that everyone must sit under the shade of a tree, building or canopy. No one could sit in the sun and everyone must have drinking water. Hundreds of people gathered to hear him. He was an inspiration to us all.

There was a complete program of lectures and shiruim planned for the entire day. The road in front of the Beit Knesset was filled with stands where one could buy water, drinks, fruit, sandwiches and salads at very low costs. The streets were filled with people. Naturally everyone encountered friends and acquaintances. I met a friend from Jerusalem. I did not know she was planning to come to this event. My son met over a 100 friends.

The organizers announced that at 4.30 p.m. they would announce whether the march was proceeding to Tsomet Raim. We were about to return to our base camp when some young men (20-23 years old) began running through the street yelling that the police were attempting to break through the main gate of the yishuv. They wanted to enter and round up all the demonstrators. We should all run to the gate and join in an attempt to keep the police out. They ran up to people and tried to convince them to run to the gate to engage the police. I asked my son if he knew any of these individuals. He did not. Soon everyone was asking each other if they were known. Very few people reacted to their cries to repel the police.

Later that afternoon we learned that there had been an encounter with the police and a couple of people were hurt including Benzi Liberman. The organizers said these young men had not been participants but infiltrators, provocateurs sent by the police to stir up trouble so the protesters would be accused of violent tactics.

Everyone waited in anticipation of the coming announcement. We wanted to resume our march and it was frustrating to just sit in the oppressive heat and contemplate what might happen. Meanwhile more and more people were arriving. Although the police had closed the roads, people knew how to cross through the fields and enter Kfar Maimon.

At 5 p.m. everyone gathered in a large open area where a raised platform had been erected. The organizers said the police were not prepared to allow us to continue. That if we were determined to do so we would have to break through the fence and fight our way through the soldiers and police. They would let us know when to be ready to continue our journey. They emphasized that there must be no violence.

We went home to have an evening meal. Someone organized showers. I walked down the road to a particular house where the owners were prepared to have people shower . Very nice family. Offered us cold drinks, cookies. Since there was a line waiting for the showers they invited us to come into the living room and watch the evening news on TV.

The commander of the police said that all the protesters were locked in Kfar Maimon and that’s where the police wanted us. They talked about the violence that had erupted earlier in the day and expected further “bloodshed.” After my shower I returned for dinner and was told to pack all my belongings because we would probably be awakened in the middle of the night to march out of Kfar Maimon. When I went to sleep I expected to get up at 2 or 3 a.m. and begin walking.

It did not happen. All night long helicopters flew overhead shining their spotlights on the ground below. Once I woke up and thought one was just above my tent. They would swoop down very close to the ground. Very loud, very scary – not conducive to sleep. There were drones also flying above: they make noise too. I did not sleep well at all.


Day Three: Wednesday July 20, 2005
Everyone got up early. Why didn’t we leave? When are we going? The air was thick with speculation, rumor, anticipation. I was very anxious. I was supposed to return to work on Thursday morning and here it was Wednesday and we were still in Kfar Maimon. Should I stay? Should I go? What if they just remain in Kfar Maimon? I couldn’t use up all my vacation days now. What about August?

The organizers sent messengers with loudspeakers announcing that they would make an announcement at 4.30 p.m. about how to proceed. It became apparent that this was turning into a waiting game. Even if they decided at 4.30 to get ready to march they would not begin until 6 p.m. or later. So I decided to head back to Jerusalem. I had committed myself to three days. Unfortunately we had not reached Gush Katif.

My son remained to see events play themselves out. I arranged for another son to get as close as he could to Kfar Maimon and I would meet him. It worked out well and I arrived home in Jerusalem at 4.30 p.m. I had mixed feelings. I felt very guilty about leaving – like a captain abandoning a sinking ship. On the other hand, I cannot afford to lose my job and besides there will be more marches, more protests.

I felt privileged to have participated in this event. I was proud to be one of 30,000-50,000 people who walked to Kfar Maimon in an attempt to reach Gush Katif. At a time when so many people are complacent or unaware of what is happening, it was wonderful to see so many people who were willing to unequivocally announce their disagreement with the Disengagement Policy, who think it is not only wrong, but a suicidal move for the State of Israel. People who were willing to donate three days of their lives to protest non-violently against this policy.

During the week prior to the march two things happened with two of my children that really depressed me and made me realize how divided this country is. One involved my son who accompanied me to Kfar Maimon. He was in Givat Shmuel standing at a junction handing out orange ribbons to motorists. There were not many takers in this region, but most people were polite. “No thank you.” However, one car stopped for a traffic light. My son offered him a ribbon. The driver said no. “With luck they will shoot all of you like mad dogs.” A family man (wife and children in the car), a Jew said this about other Jews to my son.

The other event involved my daughter and her husband. There is a project called Panim el Panim that was begun a few months ago by several people in the religious Zionist community. The idea is to encourage dialogue between the religious and secular community. Religious people go knocking on doors and introduce themselves to people. They want to talk about the fact that we are one people. You may be secular and I may be religious but we are both Jews and we can be friends who have different ideas. This has nothing to do with the Disengagement. My daughter and her husband spent hours in Ramat Aviv Gimel going from door to door. One young mother opened the door for them and invited them inside. When she called her husband from another room and he walked into the living room and she said these people would like to speak to us etc. etc. his reaction was “I can’t believe you let them in." To the visitors he said "I don’t want to talk to you. I don’t want to hear your ideas. I want you to leave my house.” My son-in-law said ok we’ll leave and he extended his hand to shake hands. The man said “I don’t want to shake hands with you. I don’t want you to touch me” with a look of revulsion on his face.

When my children related these incidents to me I was shocked. I cried to myself. I thought, “Is there such hatred among us?” Are we making it this easy for the enemy? What is happening to Eretz Yisrael? With such feelings of animosity between fellow Jews, will there be an Eretz Yisrael when my grandchildren grown up? I was very disturbed by this.

I must say that the people I encountered -- those who participated in the march and the residents of Kfar Maimon who not only welcomed us but opened their homes and their hearts to us -- renewed my faith in my people. We are in good hands! These people who are proud of who they are and not afraid to defend the Land -- their descendants will be around for generations to come. They will preserve and protect Eretz Yisrael. Those who are ashamed of their heritage, who think the land unimportant, just a commodity to be sold to the highest bidder -- they will vanish into oblivion, forgotten.