An Arab land grab was foiled Sunday in Gush Etzion, south of Jerusalem. Members of Women for Israel's Tomorrow (Women in Green) and the Netzer committee received word Sunday that an Arab was plowing on state-owned land in Netzer, in the heart of Gush Etzion, in broad daylight.
The activists immediately got organized and a few of them went out to the location. One of the activists, who speaks Arabic, explained to the Arab that the land on which he is plowing does not belong to him but rather to Jews. A map of the area was shown to prove it.
According to a Women for Israel's Tomorrow statement, "The Arab understood he is dealing with Jews who mean business and who would have no qualms in doing what needs to be done for his tractor to stop working. He immediately left the area and even admitted his mistake."
"In order to make sure that such so-called 'mistakes' do not occur again on that piece of land, the activists of Women in Green and Netzer decided to gather at 5:00 AM Monday, and plant seedlings in the entire plot. Some ten activists arrived, with tools, trees, water-pipes and thank G-d, after a few hours of work, this piece of land was saved from hostile take-over."
Netzer is the area between Elazar and Alon Shvut in Gush Etzion. This past summer nationalist activists redeemed some 20 dunams of land in Netzer by planting olive trees, vines and pomegranates. This was done in order to safe-guard these state-lands for the Jewish people and prevent the Arabs, who are funded by international anti-Israeli organizations, from taking over.
The activists point out that even land within the so-called "settlement blocs" that are widely accepted as belonging to Israel, is not safe unless it is vigilantly guarded.