Thousands of Israelis are planning to return to the site of the former northern Samaria community of Homesh on Tuesday to celebrate Israel Independence Day. They plan to climb to the hilltop in the early afternoon, hold a holiday picnic lunch, and then attend a ceremony before leaving the site.
Homesh, established in 1978, grew to be a small-sized village numbering dozens of Jewish families until the Sharon government destroyed it in the Disengagement Plan in 2005. The site of the community remains under Israeli military control, however, and the former residents have vowed to return. Under the banner "Homesh First," they hope to make Homesh the first of the destroyed communities to be rebuilt.
Permission to celebrate the holiday on the ruins of the destroyed community has not been granted by Defense Minister Amir Peretz. Peretz's orders, however, did not stop Homesh organizers from plastering every bus stop and bulletin board in the region with posters calling for the masses to join the Independence Day march. The Defense Minister has ordered police and soldiers to block the thousands of people who plan to attend.
IDF officials have acknowledged, however, that it will be difficult to completely stop the march since the area around the site is wide open and cannot be isolated. But the IDF is planning to make it hard for Homesh supporters to reach the site. Roadblocks will be placed along the approach routes at Kedummim and Einav, many miles away from Homesh.
The Homesh organizers, led by the former residents, said in response that they are continuing with the event as planned and are prepared to circumvent the roadblocks by foot and traverse great distances to reach their homes.
The event organizers further said that gatherings will be held at the two roadblocks in the event that masses of supporters are unable to get through them.
OC Central Command Major-General Yair Naveh initially allowed the march last Thursday. He also said the army would provide security for the marchers if they agreed to cooperate with security personnel and leave at the end of the day.
Permission was revoked without explanation the next day in a meeting between Defense Minister Peretz and IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, however.
Boaz Haetzni, one of the organizers of the Independence Day march to Homesh reiterated the activists’ determination to reach the destroyed community. "We never asked for permission to go to Homesh, just as one does not ask for permission to go to Ashdod." he said.
Haetzni pointed out that thousands of people also managed to reach Homesh during the last two marches despite efforts by Defense Minister Peretz to stop them.
"We did not ask for permission [in previous events at Homesh] on Chanukah or Pesach, and it is a matter of principle with us that we ask no one for permission to go to Homesh."
In the march just before Pesach, the IDF and police removed hundreds of protesters after they spent several days at the site, but the activists showed only passive resistance, and there was no violence.
More than 10,000 people who support restoring a Jewish presence in northern Samaria are expected to flood the road to Homesh on Independence Day.
Click here to see the exclusive Arutz-7 photo essay on the most recent march to Homesh.
Homesh, established in 1978, grew to be a small-sized village numbering dozens of Jewish families until the Sharon government destroyed it in the Disengagement Plan in 2005. The site of the community remains under Israeli military control, however, and the former residents have vowed to return. Under the banner "Homesh First," they hope to make Homesh the first of the destroyed communities to be rebuilt.
Permission to celebrate the holiday on the ruins of the destroyed community has not been granted by Defense Minister Amir Peretz. Peretz's orders, however, did not stop Homesh organizers from plastering every bus stop and bulletin board in the region with posters calling for the masses to join the Independence Day march. The Defense Minister has ordered police and soldiers to block the thousands of people who plan to attend.
IDF officials have acknowledged, however, that it will be difficult to completely stop the march since the area around the site is wide open and cannot be isolated. But the IDF is planning to make it hard for Homesh supporters to reach the site. Roadblocks will be placed along the approach routes at Kedummim and Einav, many miles away from Homesh.
The Homesh organizers, led by the former residents, said in response that they are continuing with the event as planned and are prepared to circumvent the roadblocks by foot and traverse great distances to reach their homes.
The event organizers further said that gatherings will be held at the two roadblocks in the event that masses of supporters are unable to get through them.
OC Central Command Major-General Yair Naveh initially allowed the march last Thursday. He also said the army would provide security for the marchers if they agreed to cooperate with security personnel and leave at the end of the day.
Permission was revoked without explanation the next day in a meeting between Defense Minister Peretz and IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, however.
Boaz Haetzni, one of the organizers of the Independence Day march to Homesh reiterated the activists’ determination to reach the destroyed community. "We never asked for permission to go to Homesh, just as one does not ask for permission to go to Ashdod." he said.
Haetzni pointed out that thousands of people also managed to reach Homesh during the last two marches despite efforts by Defense Minister Peretz to stop them.
"We did not ask for permission [in previous events at Homesh] on Chanukah or Pesach, and it is a matter of principle with us that we ask no one for permission to go to Homesh."
In the march just before Pesach, the IDF and police removed hundreds of protesters after they spent several days at the site, but the activists showed only passive resistance, and there was no violence.
More than 10,000 people who support restoring a Jewish presence in northern Samaria are expected to flood the road to Homesh on Independence Day.
Click here to see the exclusive Arutz-7 photo essay on the most recent march to Homesh.