The 59-year-old Tucker has become an expert in growing celery while working in her family hothouses in the Gush Katif farming community of Netzer Hazani. "Every seedling I plant here only strengthens my love for this place," she says. "I speak to the plants and even have names for them."
Anita Tucker, whose husband Mordechai teaches English at a yeshiva high school in the adjacent community of Katif, farms two acres of hothouses among the 1,200 acres of hothouse farms in Gush Katif. She grows celery without insects, in a process that Gush Katif residents have perfected over the past 20 years.
Like most of the Jewish residents in Gaza, she doesn't give much thought to the government's plan to dismantle their homes and transfer the land to the Arabs. "My head is in the plants," she asserts. "I came here when there were only sand dunes, and they told me it was impossible to grow anything here. But my friends and I proved the opposite. Despite the terror and mortar shelling, we are strong and we love this place."
An 11.5-minute English film, entitled "Gush Katif Forever", contrasting the residents' serene lives of agriculture and faith with the Palestinian violence that has terrorized them for years, can be seen here. Produced several months ago, the number of shells specified in the film - 4,200 - is off by more than 1,000.
"The prime minister is trying to kill our spirit," says Anita Tucker, "but we are continuing to farm. What is so strange is that after they prepared the law and voted all sorts of things, suddenly Knesset Members arrived here and were impressed. Why do they come to visit now and not beforehand?"
The Tucker children also farm. Their 32-year-old son Aviel, who also lives with his wife and children in Netzer Hazani, grows tomatoes and harvests more than three tons a week. Some of them are exported to Europe. He said he has not even read the proposed law that calls for the destruction of the Jewish communities in Gaza and northern Samaria. "I am not preparing to make any changes," he says, despite the government timetable that would expel him this summer, just before the major marketing season. "I am working as usual, I have contracts with people who are waiting for the produce, and it is impossible to suddenly stop."
Aviel also continues to report for reserve duty, after having served three years as a soldier in the Golani Brigade. He has orders to report in March, and insists he will serve. "One thing is clear," he said. "I report for duty, and there is no such thing as getting out of army duty, but my motivation has been lessened. We have risked our lives for this place. What about all the blood that has been spilled?"
A large Gush Katif solidarity rally is planned for tomorrow Monday afternoon. Bus transportation will be provided from many points around the country. For more information, call (in Israel) 02-582-2224.
Anita Tucker, whose husband Mordechai teaches English at a yeshiva high school in the adjacent community of Katif, farms two acres of hothouses among the 1,200 acres of hothouse farms in Gush Katif. She grows celery without insects, in a process that Gush Katif residents have perfected over the past 20 years.
Like most of the Jewish residents in Gaza, she doesn't give much thought to the government's plan to dismantle their homes and transfer the land to the Arabs. "My head is in the plants," she asserts. "I came here when there were only sand dunes, and they told me it was impossible to grow anything here. But my friends and I proved the opposite. Despite the terror and mortar shelling, we are strong and we love this place."
An 11.5-minute English film, entitled "Gush Katif Forever", contrasting the residents' serene lives of agriculture and faith with the Palestinian violence that has terrorized them for years, can be seen here. Produced several months ago, the number of shells specified in the film - 4,200 - is off by more than 1,000.
"The prime minister is trying to kill our spirit," says Anita Tucker, "but we are continuing to farm. What is so strange is that after they prepared the law and voted all sorts of things, suddenly Knesset Members arrived here and were impressed. Why do they come to visit now and not beforehand?"
The Tucker children also farm. Their 32-year-old son Aviel, who also lives with his wife and children in Netzer Hazani, grows tomatoes and harvests more than three tons a week. Some of them are exported to Europe. He said he has not even read the proposed law that calls for the destruction of the Jewish communities in Gaza and northern Samaria. "I am not preparing to make any changes," he says, despite the government timetable that would expel him this summer, just before the major marketing season. "I am working as usual, I have contracts with people who are waiting for the produce, and it is impossible to suddenly stop."
Aviel also continues to report for reserve duty, after having served three years as a soldier in the Golani Brigade. He has orders to report in March, and insists he will serve. "One thing is clear," he said. "I report for duty, and there is no such thing as getting out of army duty, but my motivation has been lessened. We have risked our lives for this place. What about all the blood that has been spilled?"
A large Gush Katif solidarity rally is planned for tomorrow Monday afternoon. Bus transportation will be provided from many points around the country. For more information, call (in Israel) 02-582-2224.