We want a permanent return to Jericho, and especially to the Shalom al-Yisrael synagogue.
In 1994, Jericho was the first city in Judea and Samaria ceded to the newly created Palestinian Authority, but an Israeli group, seeking to bring a Jewish presence back to the Biblical city, will hold a march this Sunday to Jericho. The march will be held on the 7th of Adar, the day of the birth and death of Moses, who died on the other side of the Jordan right before Joshua led the Jewish nation into the land of Israel – with Jericho as their first conquest.
Speaking to Arutz 7, members of the Jericho Core Group said that "we demand a return to Jericho and a Jewish presence there. We will not be satisfied with occasional gatherings. We want a permanent return to Jericho, and especially to the Shalom al-Yisrael synagogue." The synagogue, over 1,500 years old, was in regular use from after the Six Day War until Israel withdrew from the city.
The group, members say, was established "based on the understanding that the current struggle over the Land of Israel must go beyond just fighting the government's edicts against building in Judea and Samaria, but must encompass the possibility of settling the whole land of Israel," group members told Arutz 7. "The Jericho Core Group was established to fight not only against the concept of 'two states for two peoples,' which we oppose, but also against the Oslo Accords and other deals. We will keep fighting until Jews are able to settle in Area A," the areas of the country under full Palestinian Authority control.
The march – which will include those participating on foot, and is suitable for families, including those with baby carriages – will take place Sunday at 4:30, with marchers gathering outside the city. The group is organizing rides to the event from Jerusalem. For information and directions, call 052-607-1528