The Passover holiday saw thousands of Israelis and other visitors in Gush Katif (Gaza), Hevron, and elsewhere in Judea and Samaria.
"We Are on the Map," an organization dedicated to bringing tourists to Gush Katif and Judea and Samaria, succeeded in organizing more than 60 buses to Katif filled with thousands of visitors from around the country over the Passover holiday. The organization's tours are free of charge and led by specially trained women from the Gush Katif communities themselves. "We Are on the Map" aims at familiarizing Israelis with the Gaza Jewish community, in order to increase identification with the residents ahead of the struggle for Israeli sovereignty in the region. The organization made a similar effort to bring tourists to the Golan Heights when evacuating the residents of that area was under public discussion.
"We Are on the Map" intends to organize similar tours of Gush Katif for Likud members - those who are to vote on Prime Minister Sharon's unilateral withdrawal plan at the end of this month.
The ancient Jewish city of Hevron also saw thousands of visitors during Passover. The now traditional semi-annual music festival was held outside Hevron's Machpelah Cave of the Patriarchs on Thursday, featuring performers Adi Ran, Aharon Razel, Ben-Tzion Solomon and Sons, Yehuda Katz, Reva L'Sheva, and others.
Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin (Likud) spoke at the celebration, saying, "The faith that the Land of Israel is our land gave us the strength to return to it. We returned to our land and it is all ours. We will not abandon our faith and our hold on all of our land."
Deputy Education Minister Tzvi Hendel (National Union) and Knesset Member Aryeh Eldad (National Union) also addressed the large crowd.
All of the Machpelah Cave, including the Isaac Hall (Ohel Yitzhak), was opened to Jewish visitors. The Isaac Hall is generally open only to Moslems. In addition, visitors were able to take advantage of tours of the city and activities for children.
"This shows the entire world - the Prime Minister, the Americans, the Arabs - that we live here and we are here to stay," said Hevron community spokesman David Wilder. "Today I would urge all my friends to show the same kind of support in Gaza also."
Not only Jewish supporters and worshipers turned up in Hevron over Passover. A group of Christian Zionists from Oslo, led by Israeli Erez Urieli, spent the holiday in Hevron and Kiryat Arba. They decided to spend the entire week in Israel, showing Israelis that there is another side to Oslo. They toured Hevron and spoke with Hevron-Kiryat Arba leaders, including Noam Arnon, Rabbi Eliezer Waldman and David Wilder. They also spent a few days in Gush Katif, showing support for a continued Jewish presence there.
"We Are on the Map," an organization dedicated to bringing tourists to Gush Katif and Judea and Samaria, succeeded in organizing more than 60 buses to Katif filled with thousands of visitors from around the country over the Passover holiday. The organization's tours are free of charge and led by specially trained women from the Gush Katif communities themselves. "We Are on the Map" aims at familiarizing Israelis with the Gaza Jewish community, in order to increase identification with the residents ahead of the struggle for Israeli sovereignty in the region. The organization made a similar effort to bring tourists to the Golan Heights when evacuating the residents of that area was under public discussion.
"We Are on the Map" intends to organize similar tours of Gush Katif for Likud members - those who are to vote on Prime Minister Sharon's unilateral withdrawal plan at the end of this month.
The ancient Jewish city of Hevron also saw thousands of visitors during Passover. The now traditional semi-annual music festival was held outside Hevron's Machpelah Cave of the Patriarchs on Thursday, featuring performers Adi Ran, Aharon Razel, Ben-Tzion Solomon and Sons, Yehuda Katz, Reva L'Sheva, and others.
Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin (Likud) spoke at the celebration, saying, "The faith that the Land of Israel is our land gave us the strength to return to it. We returned to our land and it is all ours. We will not abandon our faith and our hold on all of our land."
Deputy Education Minister Tzvi Hendel (National Union) and Knesset Member Aryeh Eldad (National Union) also addressed the large crowd.
All of the Machpelah Cave, including the Isaac Hall (Ohel Yitzhak), was opened to Jewish visitors. The Isaac Hall is generally open only to Moslems. In addition, visitors were able to take advantage of tours of the city and activities for children.
"This shows the entire world - the Prime Minister, the Americans, the Arabs - that we live here and we are here to stay," said Hevron community spokesman David Wilder. "Today I would urge all my friends to show the same kind of support in Gaza also."
Not only Jewish supporters and worshipers turned up in Hevron over Passover. A group of Christian Zionists from Oslo, led by Israeli Erez Urieli, spent the holiday in Hevron and Kiryat Arba. They decided to spend the entire week in Israel, showing Israelis that there is another side to Oslo. They toured Hevron and spoke with Hevron-Kiryat Arba leaders, including Noam Arnon, Rabbi Eliezer Waldman and David Wilder. They also spent a few days in Gush Katif, showing support for a continued Jewish presence there.