A crowd estimated at more than 200 took part in the festive entry of a new Torah scroll in the Samarian Jewish community of Maoz Tzvi on Sunday. The ceremony was combined with the traditional tree-planting observance for Tu B'Shvat, the New Year for the Plantin lswhich fell on Shabbat this year.
Among the participants were Chairman Gershon Mesika of the Samarian Regional Council, Rabbi Shmuel Eliahu of Tzfat and Chairman Ya'akov Katz of the National Union party. Ketzaleh told the gathering that he would work with his fellow Knesset members to make sure that no one will think of bringing destruction on the place, as carried out by the Civil Administration for Judea and Samaria on the sheep farm at neighboring Mevo Dotan a few weeks ago. David Botzer, owner of the sheep farm and Maoz Tzvi's educational farm for at-risk trees, thanked those in attendance for their support and promised that the farm would develop.