WhatsappThank G-d!!! The Havat Gil’ad farm in Samaria has finally been approved by the Israeli government. This is something to celebrate, but it is sad that it took so long. Even sadder, it took the murder of one of its residents by an Arab terrorist to finally bring the Israeli government to act and approve the community. For 15 years, the families in this small village in Samaria have lived at the farm without a proper connection to the electric grid, telephone towers or water supply.
Havat Gil’ad farm in Samaria, was founded in 2002 in memory of Gil’ad Zar. He was murdered by Arab terrorists while patrolling the roads as the head of security of the region. His brother, Itay Zar started the farm, located on private property belonging to their parents, Moshe and Ya’el Zar.
What took so long?
One might ask why it took 15 years for the State of Israel to approve a Jewish community built on Jewish owned land? This question just highlights the extreme difficulty the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria are facing.
Over the last number of years, it is simply a bureaucratic nightmare to keep developing Jewish land. Due to growing international pressure, it has been harder and harder to expand existing Jewish communities. To build new communities on Jewish and Israeli state owned land is basically impossible.
At the same time, money from overseas organizations and European countries have been funding the legal battles to have Jewish homes and communities destroyed. In addition, they have been funding efforts by the Arabs to take over Jewish/Israeli land by illegal building and farming, as the case of the ancient Jewish town of Susya.
On top of all that, the Havat Gilad community was attacked by their Arab neighbors in multiple ways. One of those violent attacks was an arson attack on a house that was burned down in 2012.
Home of young married couple in Havat Gilad who lost everything in fire terror
A Classic Zionist Response
The establishment of Havat Gilad in 2002 was the classic Zionist response to Arab aggression against Jews. Whenever they have killed us, Jews responded by established new communities. That underscores our right to live in the land of Israel and rebuff their efforts to chase us away. In addition, the response of establishing new Jewish communities send a clear message. It lets the people of Israel and the whole world know that all attempts to weaken and discourage us from living in our land will fail.
So we are thankful, that after 15 years The Israeli cabinet has finally approved the recognition of the Havat Gilad farm.
Prime Minister Netanyahu
Prime Minister Netanyahu said at the start of the cabinet meeting this morning, before the vote,
“A few minutes ago, I spoke with Yael, the widow of Rabbi Raziel Shevach. I told her that the entire nation and all members of Cabinet embrace her and the children in their time of grief.
…and also asked her to hug the children for us.
I told her that our policy is being carried out in two spheres. First, exacting justice. Yesterday our forces were again in action in an effort to apprehend the last of the assassins and their accomplices in the murder of Rabbi Shevach. We will not rest until we bring them to justice. And we will bring them all to justice.
Our second policy guideline is to strengthen settlement. Whoever thinks that through the reprehensible murder of a resident of Havat Gilad, a father of six, that he can break our spirit and weaken us, is making a bitter mistake.
Today, the government will provide for the status of Havat Gilad in order to facilitate orderly life there. For the murderers – exacting justice. To those who sanctify death, we will sanctify life. This is the essence of the government’s policy.”
