I
have not made any entries or updates to my personal Facebook page for
several months, and was not planning on doing so. I am simply too busy,
and anyone who wants to reach me can always do so by email or through
the Temple Institute's Facebook page. But after what transpired this
past week concerning the tiny community of Eish Kodesh, and in the face
of the lies that are being perpetrated in the media, I cannot remain
silent.Of even greater concern is the complacency and prejudice of the
general public, even among those who identify ideologically with the
settlement movement.
Eish
Kodesh is a growing, vibrant young community in the hills of the
Benjamin region of Samaria, the heartland of the Land of Israel. The
land upon which the community sits, by all accounts and even according
to the maps of the extreme Left, is not contested by "Palestinian"
ownership, but is acknowledged as Israeli land. My wife and I are
involved with the community and intimately familiar with dynamics. The
residents of Eish Kodesh are young and idealistic. Among its members are
farmers, army officers, computer experts and other professionals, a
variety of self-employed businessmen, and of course, Torah scholars and
teachers. The community has grown to over 30 families with at least 100
children between them, the oldest of which is not yet bar mitzvah.
We
are knowledgeable about all this from first-hand experience because we
have two married daughters living there. Like all the young families who
live at Eish Kodesh, our children have decided to live there and raise
their children there at great personal cost and self-sacrifice…they
truly live the mitzvah of living in Eretz Yisrael, and their very
presence in this place is a constant sanctification of G-d's name.
The
presence of the settlement of Eish Kodesh is begrudgingly acknowledged
by the State of Israel, which considers its legal status – despite the
universal recognition of the community having been established on
uncontested land – as dubious. Because of the politicization of the
settlement issue in general, pressure from the United States and the
European Union, efforts made by the Israeli Left-dominated media to
demonize and delegitimize the settlers, and constant Palestinian terror,
encroachment, thievery, violence, harassment and intimidation, the
lives of these young families are fraught with challenges that most of
us cannot even imagine. But Eish Kodesh's residents are deeply rooted in
faith in G-d and their Jewish heritage, and their love for the Land of
Israel knows no bounds, so they rise to these challenges with bravery,
integrity and aplomb.
Many
incidents and instances of gross injustice, governmental duplicity and
police brutality have been inflicted upon the families of Eish Kodesh,
but the incidents of this past week are so horrific that all past
experience pales.
On Tuesday, January 7th,
large and numerous forces of police and army arrived at Eish Kodesh and
destroyed the vineyards and orchards belonging to two of the residents
of Eish Kodesh. The Palestinians of the adjacent village of Kusrah, who
continually instigate violent confrontation with the Eish Kodesh
residents, were emboldened by the State action against the settlers, and
with a phalanx of police to 'protect' them they gleefully 'reclaimed'
these lands immediately and within moments, ploughed the earth and
declared their ownership. In addition to the destruction of the orchards
and vineyards, the police also confiscated and/or destroyed privately
owned farming equipment belonging to two of the residents, who together
sustained over 80,000 NIS in damages and financial loss.
The
feeling in the community, in the face of this government-sponsored
pogrom, was one of abandonment and betrayal. This act of destruction,
carried about by the government of Israel, was ordered by Defense
Minister Moshe Yaalon.
MK
Moshe Feiglin (who donated 600 new trees to Eish Kodesh in solidarity)
addressed the incident in the Knesset and questioned the massive
action's legality, and the strange, cruel and wanton way in which the
destruction was carried out.
When
word of the police action that was taking place in Eish Kodesh began to
spread throughout the settlement communities, residents of other
communities and many young people began to converge on Eish Kodesh to
show their support and express their outrage in a universally-recognized
democratic fashion.
The
Palestinian locals were greatly emboldened by seeing the way in which
the Jews of Eish Kodesh were treated by their own security forces. A
large group of Jews, led by a resident of Eish Kodesh, decided to hike
through the adjacent hills in order to show that they consider this area
to be their home, they will not stop living here or live in fear. A
number of weeks earlier, a similar hike had taken place along the same
route without incident.
The
hike was peaceful. The entire group was completely unarmed. The purpose
of the walk was to declare: We live here. We will not be afraid. The
participants in this hike had no intention whatsoever to commit any
"price tag" act of revenge or intimidation against the local
Palestinians. They did not walk to the village of Kusrah and had no
intention whatsoever of entering the village.
Near
the outskirts of the village the group was ambushed by a mob of
hundreds of Arabs who blocked their way and set upon them. This mob
forced the group into an unfinished building outside the village, where
they bound them and proceeded to beat them with their fists as well as
with clubs and pipes. One of the Jewish men lost consciousness (and was
subsequently hospitalized…and arrested!). After 40 minutes, soldiers of
the IDF arrived and 'convinced' the mob to release the group; until they
were released the beatings continued under the noses of the soldiers,
who did nothing to stop them. Some of the Jews were arrested; none of
the members of the Arab mob were arrested, though they kidnapped and
beat the Jewish group.
It
is an absolute miracle that none of the hikers were killed. They
suffered horrible beatings. Photographs of the bloodied and broken Jews,
bound and prostrate, proudly taken and displayed by members of the Arab
mob on their Facebook pages have been widely circulated.
Certain
cynical, self-serving and manipulative Israeli politicians, quick to
promote their own agenda and ever-ready to vilify the settlers,
announced that the group was "from Eish Kodesh" and were "on their way
to commit an act of 'price-tag' vandalism; " why else would they enter
into the Palestinian village of Kusrah?
But
the young people in the group were not from Eish Kodesh, where the
youngest child is still below bar-mitvah; they had no intention of
committing any violence whatsoever, but wanted to demonstrate their
presence in the Land; they did not intend on entering into the village,
but were kidnapped and imprisoned there, where they were savagely
beaten; the same hike route had been taken only a few weeks earlier.
It
pains us greatly to see how the true version of these events is barely
reported and is not widely believed. Those elements that have an
anti-settler agenda are seizing this opportunity to besmirch Eish Kodesh
and its residents; it pains us even more to see that many good people
blindly believe what the media tells them. Indeed, if we did not have
children there, how would we know the truth?
These
same element who are attempting to put forward their agenda regarding
the dismantlement of Eish Kodesh, on the grounds that its residents
commit violence against its Arab neighbors, would scream "injustice!"
from every rooftop if such a suggestion was made against truly hostile
and dangerous Arab villages.
The
radical, rabid "Peace Now" movement has called for the community of
Eish Kodesh to be dismantled – even though Peace Now itself admits that
their land is not Palestinian – on the grounds that its members commit
"price tag" vandalism. But nothing can be further from the truth, and
the members of this community are themselves the victims of a concerted
attack against their legitimacy and basic human rights.
The
needs of Eish Kodesh are great. You can show your solidarity and
support by donating money to the community which is desperately needed
for the development of the settlement as well as for legal defense. If
you are interested in donating to Eish Kodesh (a US tax 501-C-3 tax
deduction is available) contact me privately for details.
In
addition to financial support you can help Eish Kodesh by speaking up
and spreading the truth. Please repost this note and participate in
forums and talk-backs that are engaged in spreading falsehood. And
please write to members of the Israeli Knesset and register your outrage
at the manner in which this community is treated.
Thank you and wishing you blessings.
Rabbi Chaim Richman
www.nomiteplow.co.il
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