The Women in Green organization on Friday warned that the IDF Civil
Administration plans to uproot Jewish plantings in Netzer.
The plantings are intended to ensure Arab farmers from Palestinian
Authority enclaves do not encroach onto lands owned by the State of
Israel.
"We have gone so far as to sign a legal waiver saying we make no
claim to the land and only make these plantings to presrve the land
for the state," Women in Green co-founder Nadia Matar told Arutz
Sheva.
"We are talking about hundreds and hundreds of trees here," she
added. "There is no reason for it, but the message we are getting is
very clear. Its going to happen after Shavuot."
The organization has enlisted the aid Gush Etzion´s regional rabbi
Gideon Perl, who invoked the Torah commandment of Ba´al Tash´chit
which forbids unnecessary agricultural destruction to rally their
supporters against the move.
"Calling our brothers, the residents of Gush Etzion Ba´al
Tash´chit! ´Thou shalt not uproot and destroy!´" the rabbi wrote.
"We have recently been informed that the Civil Administration has
directed the IDF to uproot all treets that have been planted
throughout the last few years in ´Netzer,´ located between Alon Shvut
and Elazar.
"This directive is due to be carried out after the Shavuot holiday.
"We view this directive to be purely destructive for destruction´s
sake, without any real reason or grounds, giving in to the pressure
of international organizations, left-wing activists, and the Arabs.
"It is publicly known that we do not lay claim to private ownership
of these lands. The trees were planted in order to preserve and
protect state lands from being taken over by the Arabs.
Rabbi Perl adds, "Our response: continued planting!"
Women in Green co-founders Nadia Matar and Yehudit Katsover have
called for the public to join them for plantings in Netzer on Monday,
May 28 the day after Shavuot at 6:30pm. Those who wish to join
the fight for Netzer can join them at the pergola at bottom of the
hill.
Transportation can be found in Jerusalem at 5:30pm; Kiryat Arba
Hevron at 5:45pm; and Tzomet Hagush at 6:10pm. More details are
available from Women in Green co-founders Yehudit Katsover (050-716-
1818) and Nadia Matar (050-550-0834).
Women in Green co-founders Nadia Matar and Yehudit Katsover have
called for the public to join them for plantings in Netzer on Monday,
May 28 the day after Shavuot at 6:30pm. Those who wish to join
the fight for Netzer can join them at the pergola at bottom of the
hill.
Transportation can be found in Jerusalem at 5:30pm; Kiryat Arba
Hevron at 5:45pm; and Tzomet Hagush at 6:10pm. More details are
available from Women in Green co-founders Yehudit Katsover (050-716-
1818) and Nadia Matar (050-550-0834).
They also ask concerned members of the public to lobby senior
officials and lawmakers in the ruling coalition who live in Judea and
Samaria in the hopes they can be persuaded to intervene. Of note are
Minister Yuli Edelstein, Minister Avigdor Lieberman, MK Zeev Elkin,
and MK Dudu Rotem.
