Worl d

Cat-And-Mouse Game

Splinter group bids to keep the outpost movement alive.

Dina Kraft
Jewish Telegraphic Agency

trailers often evolved into de facto settlements:with homes,
fields, running water and electricity. Sometimes, they would
be set up by the government itself.
Mevasseret Adumim, West Bank
In recent years, however, the mainstream settler movement,
represented by the Yesha Council, has begun focusing more on
er heart pounding, the 15-year-old girl with a long,
preserving existing settlements than creating new ones, given
honey-colored braid down her back scrambled
the increased likelihood of a future Israeli withdrawal from
down the steep hillside in the black of night, run-
most of the West Bank.
ning from police who had swarmed in to evacuate her and
In Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's vision, the larger settle-
others who had come to set up an illegal settlement outpost.
ment blocs would be annexed to Israel.
It was a scene that has become familiar in the ongoing
As a result, a new settler organization called the Land of
battle between youths determined to spread Jewish settlement Israel Faithful has set out to continue occupying as many hill-
in the West Bank and the police charged with stopping them.
tops as possible — specifically ones near existing settlements,
Ayana and a group of class-
so the existing settlements grow
mates managed to elude the
to other hilltops.
police by finding a hiding
Headed by Rabbi Moshe
place among the rocks. They
Levinger, the American-born
spent the night on the hill,
founder of the current Jewish
which they call Mevasseret
neighborhood in Hebron, mem-
Adumim.
bers of the Land of Israel Faithful
"If we want the land to be
hope these settlements will grow
ours, then we have to come
and foil any possible future peace
and settle it. This is the first
deal with the Palestinians.
step toward what I hope will
The former mayor of the
one day be a community
Jewish West Bank settlement of
here," Ayana said, looking at
Kedumim, Daniella Weiss, who is
the sloping, sand-colored hills
on the group's board, said that in
across from Ma'ale Adumim,
meetings at homes and hilltops
Young Israeli protesters stand in the controversial E-1
one of the largest Jewish
across the West Bank, people of
corridor
outside Ma'ale Adumim in December.
settlements in the West Bank,
all ages are coming together to
located just a few miles out-
strategize on how to best stake
side Jerusalem.
out what they see as their biblical birthright.
Ayana and her comrades are the foot soldiers in a campaign
Small donations fund their work, which includes advertis-
launched by a splinter settler group to take over nine hilltops
ing and buying equipment such as generators. Fellow settlers
in the West Bank. Overall, there are some 100 illegal outposts
are recruited to help bring food, water and logistical support
across the West Bank.
to those who set up the outposts.
This one, its supporters say, is meant to ensure neighboring
"Politics are very much influenced by what we, the settler
Ma'ale Adumim is expanded into an area called E-1 — a con- movement, do on the land," Weiss said. "With our building
troversial swath of land many say cuts off the northern and
more outposts and more settlements, we prevent the govern-
southern parts of the West Bank.
ment from fulfilling the idea of giving away territories!'
If this land is annexed by Israel — most Israelis expect
Until about four years ago, the outpost activity was more
Ma'ale Adumim to become part of Israel in a final-status
intense, according to Dror Etkes, the former director of a
agreement with the Palestinians — Palestinians say their
Peace Now settlement-monitoring project. Until about 2003,
future state could not be contiguous.
"there were tractors and bulldozers and phones and water:'
These settlement outposts have been ongoing thorns in the
Etkes said. By contrast, "what we are seeing today is more
side of successive Israeli governments, which are under inter-
political!'
national pressure to dismantle them but often have lacked the
The youth who settle the outposts say they are not deterred
political will to do so.
by the illegality of their actions. "There is a clear command-
Despite promises to deal harshly and promptly with those
ment to settle the Land of Israel according to the Torah. It
who establish the illegal outposts, little legal action is actually
has been ours since the time of Abraham, so we don't need
taken. Israeli human rights activists long have complained
permission;' said David, 17, his kipah covered partially by a
that settlers act with impunity in the West Bank.
black wool hat.
"It's clear that if Palestinians seized land that was not theirs,
Others say they have lost faith in the state, especially after
they would not be allowed to stay for more than five minutes.
the 2005 withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, when some 9,000
But the approach to settler youth is very different:' said Lior
Jews were pulled out of Gaza's Jewish towns, many by force.
Yavne, director of research for Yesh Din, an Israeli human
"The police are not with us; they are against Torah and
rights group. "Basically, the law enforcement system is nonex-
have forgotten the laws of Judaism," Ayana said, before sitting
istent when it comes to handling repeated offenses related to
down on a blanket with her friends, waiting until the police
settlers taking over land!'
returned. 1-11
In the past, what would begin as a small cluster of tents or

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April 10 • 2008

