Behind the Headlines in YESHA Meet the New Generation, Born on the Land

Behind the Headlines in YESHA Meet the new generation, born on the Land. “They’ll never give up the Land, the dream or the reality,” says one observer. Will the change in leadership restore Zionism to the nation? Photo: Ariel Jerozolimski Photo: Ariel by Judy Lash Balint tlement visionaries, decided this was tion." Richlin believes that since there hey don't have an office; their time to galvanize and seize the is no longer a struggle for the physical they don't even have a mantle of leadership. The result has existence of the state, the task today is budget — yet late last been a shake-up of the Religious to galvanize the majority of Israelis year, thisT group of young Israeli activists Zionist community in Israel. who want a state based on Jewish val- confronted the Barak administration's The decline of idealism in Israeli ues. In his view, the willingness to give efforts to dismantle scores of settlement society and the challenges facing the away parts of Judea and Samaria is outposts in Judea and Samaria national religious population in bridg- symptomatic of a lack of Zionist edu- [Yehudah + Shomron + (G)aza = ing the ideological gap with their secu- cation and appreciation of Jewish his- YESHA]. Planting themselves in front lar brethren is apparent to numerous tory on the part of secular Israelis. He of the bulldozers sent to tear down the Zionist leaders. [See "Is Religious also blames the influence of negative simple homes and caravans, members Zionism in Crisis?" in the Fall aspects of western culture which have of Dor Hemshech, (the Continuing 1999/5760 issue of Jewish Action.] become so prevalent throughout Israeli Generation) riveted the attention of These are the central issues which Dor society in recent years. Israel at the world media and the Israeli public on a Hemshech leaders are taking on. Is this dawn of the 21st century is simply a fundamental principle of Religious new movement just a younger, more very different place from the Israel of Zionism — the bond between the peo- energized version of Gush Emunim 30 years ago, when the young idealists ple of Israel and the Land. and the veteran YESHA activists, or are of that era pioneered the early settle- Refusing to go along with the com- we witnessing the emergence of a ment communities. While the issue of promise agreement between the revised interpretation of Religious giving away parts of the Land takes YESHA Council and Prime Minister Zionism, an attempt to reach out of its precedence due to the present crisis, a Ehud Barak, a loose-knit group of theoretical confines? primary goal of Dor Hemshech is to strong-minded individuals, many the Shimon Richlin, a Bar Ilan trained disseminate Jewish values as an integral sons and daughters of well-known set- archaeologist who lives in Maale part of Zionism. Michmash, is the most visible leader of Richlin has no intention of sup- Judy Lash Balint is a writer and public relations consultant living in Jerusalem. Ms. Balint’s articles on Dor Hemshech. He states succinctly: planting or negating the work of the life in Israel have appeared in numerous publications. "The main objective of our movement YESHA Council or the Golan This is her first contribution to Jewish Action. is to create a peaceful Jewish revolu- Residents Committee. But he does JEWISH ACTION Spring 5760/2000 want to change the image of those way your parents did. You have to fig- Samaria as an integral part of their who oppose giving away Jewish land. ure out what to do to save your childhood landscape. "They have a In contrast to the perception of Gush homes," he exhorted. very pure, very intelligent attitude," Emunim as “extremists and fanatics,” People like Daniella Weiss, mayor of she says. "They're a new generation, Richlin wants to build a movement in Kedumim, also helped nurture the born on the Land. They have the Land which every mainstream Israeli would young activists. Weiss, one of the orig- be united in the desire to build a inal settlers at Sebastia in 1975, acts as Jewish state. an unofficial senior advisor to the "Maybe it's because I was born in group. These young people, Weiss “…a resolute core Tel Aviv: I feel we have to reach out notes, have a deeper connection to the to the secular masses. How is it that Land. Many of them were born and of motivated after more than 20 years of settle- raised in the yishuvim with Judea and ments, people still don't understand individuals ready our message?" Richlin asks. So one of the first strategies of Dor Hemshech to carry on was to arrange informal meetings with anyone open-minded enough to pay their struggle” attention. "Building communities in Judea and Samaria isn't enough. We have to do that too, but we need to Ariel Jerozolimski speak to the people in the rest of Israel." At a strategy session last Photo: December, one non-observant young man from Tekoa stood up and told the group how people were more open to listening to his right-wing views because he didn't fit the stereotype of the "knitted-kippah settler." Many of the first generation of ideological settlement pioneers, mostly residents of smaller communities far over the Green Line, identify strongly with Dor Hemshech. They see in this new group a resolute core of motivated individuals ready to carry on their struggle. In some cases it was the “vet- erans” who directly inspired the next generation to get involved. Oded Porat, 26, an administrator at the Golan yeshivah of Chispin, and nephew of former MK Chanan Porat, decided to take on a leadership role in Dor Hemshech after Yisrael Harel addressed a conference marking the 31st anniversary of the religious yishuv of Ramat Hamagshimim. "During the time of Gush Emunim, people your age set up the movement and created a revolution," Harel told the group. "Now is the time to stand up and do something, to take responsibility the Opposite page: Maon Farm outpost Right: Military police lower a settler from the roof of Maon Farm JEWISH ACTION Spring 5760/2000 in their blood. They'll never give up Land and to its preservation. Demonstrating another of the 'red the Land, the dream or the reality." An observant young man named lines' of Dor Hemshech, none of the According to Weiss, despite imbib- Chevron Shilo addressed his remarks protesters raised a hand against IDF ing the ideology of Gush Emunim as to Prime Minister Barak: "If you con- soldiers or police who had been sent to they grew up, the new leaders have tinue along this path of destruction, disperse them. "First of all, we under- dedicated a lot of time to discussing Honorable Prime Minister, we will be stand that this is their job,” said their own philosophical notions forced to begin a struggle — a just Richlin. After being arrested with regarding the tie of Jews to the Land. struggle; responsible, tolerant, but other Dor Hemshech members in But Dor Hemshech was spurred from determined. We will sit on the roads early December for attempting to talk into action by government and sing, we will stand next to the establish a new outpost at Nokdim, he demands to evict Jews from the small declared, “I'm com- ideological communities in Judea and pletely against the use Samaria. of violence. There are Their first public activity was a many ways to be radi- hastily called demonstration in front cal, but our goal is to of Prime Minister Barak's residence in build and be creative, Jerusalem right after the YESHA not to destroy. The Council agreed to dismantle some of real violence is the the outposts last October. It was a acts of those who risky move, since a small showing would destroy the would have been taken as a sign of Land of Israel." weakness. But the event, which drew There's a diversity more than 5,000 participants, signaled of opinion and the shift of power in the settlement lifestyle even among movement from the old guard to their Photo: J. Balint the observant mem- children — the 20- bers of Dor 30-year-olds, born Hemshech. Take, for and bred in Judea, instance, Yehoshophat Tor, 29, Samaria, Gaza and founder of the outpost of Maon. Tor the Golan. The bat- wears a large woolen kippah and color- tle-weary old-timers ful clothes. He is a man seeking spiri- stood off to the side, tual quiet in the Judean Hills who out of the limelight, speaks of his strong conviction that looking on with Jews belong in the place where King pride at their ideo- David sojourned and which had logical offspring who remained barren until the Jews used the demonstra- returned to settle the land thousands tion as the first pub- of years later. He feels he is expressing lic expression of Dor his commitment to the God of Israel Hemshech ideology in the most tangible way, by cultivat- and tactics. ing the land and raising his family "We don't negoti- there. ate about the Land of Photo: J. Balint Israel. It's not nego- tiable," Richlin explained without rancor to the crowd tractors and we'll dance. No one can Top: Tzippi Schlissel, a great-granddaughter — a thinly veiled reference to the promise us victory here and now… of Rabbi Abraham Yitzchak Kook, at home compromise agreement. In a show of But rest assured that in the end, [our] in Charasha Lower: Shimon Richlin, Dor Hemshech Jewish unity rarely seen at political faith will emerge victorious." leader, urges civil disobedience demonstrations in Israel, a group of Sure enough, during the eviction of Opposite page: An IDF soldier removes a four friends from Erez, three of the settlers at the Maon Farm a few weeks settler’s child from the scene during the four standing bare-headed, led the after the rally, the hundreds of people evacuation of Maon Farm.

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