Israel Matzav

Lose your father/husband, keep your home

You will recall that the families of Eliraz Peretz HY"D (may God avenge his blood) and Roi Klein HY"D - two IDF officers who were killed in combat a few months ago and during the Second Lebanon War, respectively - live in the HaYovel neighborhood of the town of Eli in Samaria. You will also recall that the entire HaYovel neighborhood is under the threat of demolition as an 'illegal outpost.' And you will also recall that Defense Minister Ehud Barak asked for a six-month reprieve from the demolition order (and then?).

The Plaintiff in the case in which the neighborhood has been ordered destroyed is 'Peace Now.' Yes, of course, an Israeli Jewish organization is leading the way to have Jews thrown out of their homes - don't start me on this hateful, despicable group. Peace Now is against a six-month reprieve because they want the whole issue resolved now. But they're only willing to allow two houses to stay: The Peretz's and the Klein's. Everyone else has to go.

I have no idea what the HaYovel neighborhood looks like, but please imagine that you live in a neighborhood of seventeen families. Your kids have friends. You have friends. Given the location of Eli, the husbands probably share security duties as well. Now, 15 of the families are going to have their homes destroyed. Two widows and their orphaned children are to be allowed to stay in splendid solitude. Do you really think they'll want to stay there alone? What could go wrong? (Sorry, I only have a family shot of the Klein's and not of the Peretz's, but allow me to add) How do you think the lady and her two small children in the picture can cope with living in the middle of nowhere with only one neighbor in sight? (And what would have happened had Eliraz Peretz not been killed in March?).

'Peace Now's offer doesn't sound too generous, does it?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:06 PM