Shmuel Wendy, representative of Israeli farms in Judea and Samaria, gave a special interview to Arutz Sheva - Israel National News to highlight the vital role of Jewish agricultural farms in maintaining Israeli presence and control over large swaths of land in the region.
Wendy explained that while Jewish communities number over 150 and collectively hold more than 200,000 dunams (approximately 50,000 acres) in Jewish hands, the farms play an even more expansive role. Over 100 such farms, spread across every part of Judea and Samaria, collectively secure nearly 800,000 dunams (about 200,000 acres) through grazing lands for sheep and cattle.
"The most important thing to know is that if you look at all the towns together in Judea and Samaria, they keep approximately 200,000 dunams in Jewish hands," Wendy said. "But we have almost 6 million dunams protected by farming or by grazing the land with the sheep and the cows."
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He emphasized the strategic importance of these farms in preserving state land amid ongoing challenges, particularly the attempts by the PA to exert more control over the Israeli countryside.
Wendy expressed gratitude to Israel's current right-wing government for its strong support of these agricultural efforts. He thanked officials for providing security equipment, funding for cameras, ATVs, and other essential resources. "We need to say thank you so much to all the people in the government who help us, giving us the equipment we need for these important missions," he stated.
Beyond government backing, Wendy pointed to growing grassroots and public support through the Farm Fund, established by the Farm Association less than a year ago. The initiative has already attracted more than 18,000 monthly donors contributing 18 shekels each, providing crucial financial and moral encouragement.
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"This gives us the energy to continue, because we know that we are not by ourselves. We have all of the people of Israel together with us to help us along," Wendy said, referring to the collective support from the Jewish people. "We will continue to do that job.
The farms, often operating as lone youth outposts or family-run operations, are seen by proponents as a modern continuation of Zionist agricultural settlement, helping to prevent encroachment on state land and reinforcing security in vulnerable areas.
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