Land of Israel activists gathered at the hilltop of Netzer in Gush Etzion at week's end for a ceremonial protest against the government's construction freeze. The event included the building of a house from local rocks, a Chanukah candle lighting and a musical celebration.
Women in Green, the organizers of the ascent to Netzer, wrote in the invitation to the event: "Between Alon Shvut and Elazar there are hundreds of dunams of State land. The Arabs are taking over these lands. In order to prevent a Jewish continuity between Elazar, Alon Shvut and Efrat, they plant and build terraces (we are not talking about privately owned Arab land but rather about State land)."
The organizers explained that four years ago, immediately after the expulsion of Jews from the communities of Gush Katif in the Gaza Strip, families and youth from the area decided to safeguard these state lands by building and planting there. That is how Netzer was created, between Alon Shvut and Elazar.
"The authorities destroyed what had been built in Netzer eight times," the invitation stated. "Now, more than ever, we must thaw the freeze by strengthening Netzer, thereby sending a clear message that one cannot freeze the principles of Zionism."