'A LIFE'S WORK' DESTROYED IN SAMARIA
by Nissan Ratzlav-Katz
(IsraelNN.com) The Botzer family, whose farm was demolished Monday morning by the military, described for Arutz Sheva Radio the loss they have suffered, saying it is far more than financial.
The Botzer farm, located adjacent to Mevo Dotan in the Shomron (Samaria) region, was destroyed Monday morning as part of the government crackdown on what have been defined as "unauthorized outposts" in lands liberated by Israel prior to the Six Day War. David and Shaina Botzer told Arutz Sheva that their farm is actually on state land within the municipal territory of Mevo Dotan, although west of the town's current residential area.
"My husband is a Navy commando and while he was planning to go to
do his reserve duty, they came and dismantled his life's work. This
was an animal pen worth tens of thousands of shekels. There were 50
heads of sheep there as part of an educational agricultural project
that involves the area youth," Shaina said. The animal pen itself was
subject to a demolition order, she said, but the order was in appeal
before the proper authorities. In addition to the animal pen, the
security forces also destroyed a stable that was not subject to the
existing demolition order, Botzer added.
'Like a stab in the back'
"The Navy commando unit is in my husband's blood," Shaina told Arutz Sheva. "The unit is part of him and now it is hard for him to go to reserve duty. He feels like he was stabbed in the back."
Shaina was further surprised to see that the workers brought in to carry out the physical destruction of their property were Arabs from a neighboring village. "I am stunned. It is a total shock when Arabs come and dismantle a Jewish farm when so many of their homes in the village below [our farm] are illegal," she explained.
When the workers were taking down the pen, they tried to chase away the sheep, but the animals tried with all their might to remain in the enclosure. "Even after the pen was dismantled [the sheep] ran back to the area where it had stood, but they came upon a pile of rubble," Shaina Botzer said. "It is so symbolic that they tried to return home."
The Shomron Liaison Office informed Israel National News on Monday
that the Botzer ranch is "an educational farm which is located in a
very difficult and strategic area and is an inspiration to the
region's development."
"We will continue and support the efforts of the Botzer family and those who help them secure a Jewish presence in the Northern Shomron," the Liaison Office said. "We are now launching an emergency campaign to raise funds to rebuild the building that was destroyed."
"We are essentially protecting state land here," Shaina Botzer said, "and they took everything of ours apart. With G-d's help, we will start over again."
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Shayna Botzer wrote on December 1, 2009:
In the Kafkaesque reality of Israel 2009, this can actually happen. Arabs are chosen to carry out the plans of the civil administration, as if they are unconnected to its implications. How blind and insensitive can one get?
We stood there, unable to believe our eyes. Each one of us was
surrounded by a ring of black garbed special forces operatives that
was there to allow the bulldozers to operate without interruption.
In the midst of all the pain I saw the Arab tractor driver looking
me straight in the eye, waiting for me to look away first in
humiliation. He then climbed onto his machine, awaiting his turn at
this dance of destruction.
We were stunned when shouting in Arabic began to fill the air. One
worker tore down the doors of the stable as three of his friends ran
in, shouting in Arabic, forcing the sheep to scatter in all
directions. The bulldozer followed and decimated the once beautiful
and expensive sheep pen, worth thousands of dollars, into a heap of
twisted metal.
I stood watching, and through all the commotion taking place around
me, I noticed two sheep just standing — ignoring all the pushing,
shouting and commotion around them — serenely and steadfastly eat
their breakfast of hay. They seemed determined to hold on to their
daily routine, in spite of all the efforts at destroying it.
Before my eyes flashed all the long days and periods of
construction. I remember last year's Hanukkah, how we toiled and
built, through the rain and mud, night and day. As I felt that I was
beginning to drown in a sense of helplessness, and as a flood of tears
threatened to burst forth from my eyes, I heard my husband David
shoutiing' his eyes red with sorrow, "It's just material goods! It
will not break us!"
After much effort, we managed to gather the flock again. They, as
usual, began flocking back to the paddock, their safe and familiar
home. They sought entrance, but when unable to, began to scatter in
all directions again.
That's it. Their work is done. The bulldozers and military vehicles
are leaving, and we are left alone, staring at the ruins left in their
wake.
Feelings of shock and frustration fill us, but at same the time, they strangely also begin to subside. We look ahead and begin to rebuild. "This time, we will build it bigger and stronger", says David.
Not long afterwards, bulldozers again make their way up the hill.
But this time they are here to build. Good people are beginning to
flow up the hill, sleeves rolled up, to work well into the night, to
rebuild and re-establish.
Shayna Botzer
057 624 2403
052 790 6052
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Editor's Addendum:
The Government has sporadic activity against what they term
"illegal" Jewish homes in Samaria and Judea. On November 16, 2009, the
IDF destroy two homes in Neguhot: the home of Yehudit and Natan Ben
David and their 6 children and the home of the Cohen family with one
child. Pictures of the destruction are available at
http://picasaweb.google.com/dobiim4/
Negohot#slideshow/5404695190305934786
As the Women in Green write:
We must point out that the two homes were built within the community
boundaries of the community of Neguhot. Neguhot is a community in the
southern hills of Hevron, a 15 minute drive south of Kiryat Arba. One needs
to drive on a road within the Palestinian Authority to get to Neguhot (a
fact that in itself is a scandal).
The bulldozers come
And destroy
The scene reminded us of the devastating scenes of the destruction of Gush
Katif.
A Jewish home destroyed
Among the pictures one can see how, after the destruction, Arab workmen
hired by the army are evacuating the family piano and other belongings from
the ruins.
Arabs carrying off a piano.
The people of Israel returned to their Biblical homeland in order to build
it and settle it.The pioneering families of Neguhot are imbued with this
spirit and no force will succeed in stopping this.
The families are strong and determined to rebuild their homes. The pictures
show the tent built a few minutes after the destruction, a tent in which
they will live to keep a presence at the site. For donations for a new home,
please call Miriam at 052-429 5557.
Jews putting up a new tent
COMMUNITIES FROM GUSH KATIF IN GAZA who now live
in Samaria and Judea are also determined to rebuilt their lives. These
are extraordinary people.
Click here
to listen to a refugee from Ganei Tal, a beautiful community built in
the sand dunes of Gaza. The Ganei Tal community is waiting for
permission to rebuild their village on the lands of Hafetz Haim near
the city of Ashdod. As Yuval Zaliouf writes about this community:
Friends, we hear a lot from a biased media about the fate of the
so-called "Palestinians." What we hardly hear is about those who for
30 years built a legendary oasis in the desert, supplied work to
thousands of Arabs and lived in relative peace side by side. The
evicted Israelis left their green houses behind for the Arabs to
nurture. Within days after the eviction the green houses were
demolished for scraps by the Gaza Arabs. Today, Gaza is ruled by
Iran's proxy Hamas and the world is called about to donate money to
the poor "Palestinians."
A movie that remembers the destruction of Gush Katif may be seen here. It is
called, "Gush Katif, from Destruction to Renewal." If you'd like to
help rebuild these communities:
In the U.S.A., contact: Friends of Gush Katif, POB
1184, Teaneck NY 07666. Toll free number in US: 1-800-410-1502.
All contributions are tax-deductible under US Law 501(c)(3).
In Israel, write to Gush Katif Committee, Ahuzat Etrog POB 450,
Israel 79411.
And visit http://www.gushkatif.org for updates.
Nissan Ratzlav-Katz writes for Arutz-7, where this article appeared
on November 23, 2009
(http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/134577).
For details, contact the Women in Green: Nadia Matar at 050-5500834
and Yehudit Katzover at 050-7161818.
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