Thousands ascended to the destroyed Jewish town of Homesh Tuesday in a visit authorized by the government.
The Yesha Council, together with several Religious Zionist schools participated in the event. Dozens stayed afterward and refused to leave, demanding a real "change of direction."
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“Today is not particularly special – but we don’t need a special reason to ascend to Homesh,” said Secretary-General of B’nei Akiva schools Elchanan Glatt. “We believe and are building a new direction – taking shovels and brooms and rebuilding Homesh, Gush Katif, Sa-Nur, Ganim and Kadim.”
Rabbi Chaim Drukman, who heads the B’nei Akiva school system and was one of the organizers of the Homesh ascent, said to those gathered that “Homesh is part of the Land of Israel. Today it is clear that what was called the ‘Disengagement’ was an unmitigated atrocity – and there is no reason that it should remain desolate. It is true that in the meantime we are unable to return to Gush Katif – but there is no reason that we should not already return to northern Samaria right now.”
Rabbi Drukman defended the decision to bring thousands of high school students to Homesh, despite the ongoing finals of the end of the school year. “Studies are not only about content, but about values. This is education. To go home from summer vacation with a heart filled with vision – there is no greater education than that.”
Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, a member of the newly expanded Yesha Council who has suspended his membership temporarily due to a controversy regarding the council’s decision to honor outgoing IDF Cental Commander Yair Naveh, was also present at the Homesh event. “We are returning to Homesh. We were here at previous ascents, on Chanukah, Pesach and Independence Day, with the pioneers of the Homesh core-group, and today we are slowly, slowly seeing progress. The Yesha Council has now joined in the effort and slowly we are returning, like the redemption of Israel. Homesh is almost built and we are already looking toward Sa-Nur and Gush Katif.”
Col.(ret.) Moshe Leshem, of Gamla Shall Not Fall Again, also a member of the newly expanded Yesha Council, began his address by blessing the members of the Homesh core-group, who plan on permanently moving back to Homesh next month.
Leshem also blessed the Homesh First group, which pioneered the previous returns to the destroyed community despite IDF and governmental resistance. “Homesh First broke forth ahead of the camp and paved the way to reestablishing these communities, actualizing the slogan ‘We Shall Return to Every Town.’”
Leshem said that Israel had committed the crime of “ethnic cleansing” when it removed Jews from Gaza and northern Samaria – and must rectify that crime.
MK Uri Ariel (National Union-NRP) said “there are those dealing with party primaries and then there are those dealing with more important things. Anyone who thinks they can overcome our will to rebuild Homesh first, and then the rest of the communities that were destroyed, is hugely mistaken. It took the Elon Moreh core-group seven attempts until they succeeded in establishing first Kedumim and then Elon Moreh. We will, with G-d’s help, return here much faster and on a much larger scale.”
The event was the first return to Homesh authorized and assisted by the IDF, on orders from the government. According to Army Radio, the government is seeking to empower the Yesha Council, in the hopes that it will reduce public support for Homesh First and other groups determined to return and resettle northern Samaria and Gaza regardless of permits or authorization.
The event began at the old Sebastia train station, a symbolic starting point as it was there that the original Gush Emunim activists reestablished Jewish settlement of Samaria following the Yom Kippur War.
Once they reached the bulldozed town Homesh, the Samaria municipality erected new street signs where the old ones once stood. The streets and sidewalks, as well as a large water tower in the center of the community, are all that remain.
Some Refuse to Leave, Spend Night
About fifty young activists stayed in Homesh after the event, despite organizers’ agreement with the IDF to leave willingly and ensure that nobody stay behind. The activists spent the night at the darkened community in sleeping bags and tents they had brought.
Yassam riot police came that night to attempt to remove the activists, but they evaded the security forces and returned. Upon awaking in the morning, they reported that no security forces were in sight.
The youths spent the day Wednesday rebuilding infrastructure at the community. Others set out from nearby Jewish towns to join and help them.
Moshe Meiron, of the Our Yesha group, explained that he and other activists had declared beforehand that they would not comply with the Yesha Council’s agreement with the authorities. “The Yesha Council initiative to return to Homesh was headlined as ‘changing direction.’ Public relations displays and performances are not [really] ‘changing direction’ from what has gone on in recent years. What will bring about the return to Homesh are not picnics or speeches, but actually being there, no matter what the conditions.”