6 5 4 1 2 3 168 169 Chapter Twelve | The Struggle Over Gush Ka�f maybe just the expensive items, or give up the possessions in advance, and stay with a great, influen�al faith? Should we stay un�l the last minute with the children, or take them out earlier to prevent them from seeing difficult sights? What does one do when their partner thinks exactly the opposite? How to avoid the debilita�ng effect of those who raise their hands early?25 It was an internal faith struggle within the heart and soul of each of the residents, and for the purpose of strengthening the faith, many of them seeked help from rabbis, through mul�ple lessons and prayers. A few days before the displacement, a group of about fi�y women came to Rabbi Eliyahu. Their ques�ons impressed the rabbi, and he said: "Thanks to righteous women we were redeemed, and this �me, too, the banner of faith is held by women... And if five days before the displacement you think of faith, I come out strengthened."26 This internal struggle existed in every home, in every community, and also at the campaign's headquarters. The tension was also felt between the se�lements themselves. On the one hand, any a�empt to meet with the heads of the SELA Authority was perceived as as harming the campaign. On the other hand, some of the heads of the se�lements felt a great responsibility for the future of their residents, and tried to conduct a dialogue with various government officials. Towards the end, Mateh rabbis and leaders issued an instruc�on that any ac�vity related to packing or preparing to leave is legi�mate, and everyone should do as their heart and eyes see fit. This greatly relieved families, who were already facing difficult �mes, even without this confusion. However, members of the Mateh decided not to meet with the government in the representa�ve public framework.27 Alongside the general, representa�ve campaign, each family fought for its existence and future, each in its own way, whether in prayer and fas�ng at the burial sites of the righteous, in mee�ngs with various ViP's or influen�al ci�zens, and whether in ac�vi�es at the Mateh or within the se�lement.28 The residents were busy hos�ng people who came to help and support, or family members who finally decided to come, and in advocacy ac�vi�es wherever they went, in an a�empt to penetrate the indifferent hearts of the people of Israel. Despite all the strengthening and encouraging ac�vi�es, some considered the possibility that the disengagement would take effect.29 To get through this peacefully, family discussions began about the nature of the struggle as a family - how they would receive the soldiers, how and what they would talk about when everyone had a common denominator - non-violence. At most, they would not go out on their own, but would be dragged away.30 The Last Weeks Before the Headline bold. About a month before the date set for the implementa�on of the disengagement process, in Tammuz 5765 (07/10/2005), Gush Ka�f closed to the entry of foreigners. It was declared a closed military area, and every resident received an iden�fica�on card. The entrance to Gush Ka�f - Kissufim checkpoint - was fenced off with barbed wire fences, a reminder of dark days... For the residents, this was the first signal that the Disengagement Plan would be carried out. A city of tents was built for the military personnel who blocked the area. The residents started to feel under a real siege, and the rage was ge�ng worse day by day. The soldiers were no longer the ones guarding the residents, but the ones preven�ng them from naturally entering their homes. This lockdown led to the intensifica�on of the struggle. Spontaneous roadblocks popped up throughout Israel, and various provoca�ons in and around the checkpoints, such as mul�ple demonstra�ons and protests, mainly by youth from Gush Ka�f in front of the soldiers. The Mateh moved its offices from Neve Dekalim to a protest tent at the checkpoint and ini�ated various protest ac�ons, such as a long convoy of cars passing by without ID cards, and private protests. For the first �me there was a confronta�on between the Mateh and the security forces, something that had been avoided un�l now. Some of the campaigners hoped to succeed in convincing the soldiers to refuse to carry out the harsh and unjust order, for the sake of everyone's future. The Unifica�on March The Yesha Council - the body that represented the candidates for displacement vs. various State ins�tu�ons - supported and helped the residents of Gush Ka�f throughout the struggle and also engaged the residents of Judea and Samaria. It assisted the Mateh in organizing the large demonstra�ons, was ac�ve on the poli�cal level and held support visits.31 One of the major collabora�ons took place about two weeks before the disengagement, in the demonstra�on of strength and enormous faith in Kfar Maimon, a demonstra�on that lasted for about three days. With a resolute call to ac�on, tens of thousands of people from all corners of Israel united in Ne�vot, prepared to embark on a historic march to Gush Ka�f. This 'Unifica�on March' was a powerful testament to their unwavering determina�on, a collec�ve effort to demonstrate the magnitude and fervor of their opposi�on to the disengagement plan. Their shared hope was to sway the leadership, poten�ally reversing or at least modifying the arduous decision. To their surprise, the police blocked most of the buses at the beginning of the road, and only about twenty thousand people arrived at Ne�vot, mostly in private vehicles. On Monday evening, the 11th of Tammuz 5765 (07/18/2005), the 'Unifica�on March' opened with a large rally near Baba Sali's burial site in Ne�vot, a�er which the crowd went towards Gush Ka�f. Huge forces surrounded them and prevented their progress. A�er some delibera�on, they were all brought to Kfar Maimon, where they remained under lockdown un�l Wednesday evening. It was the first �me that a se�lement within the Green Line was under military siege. The locals hosted them and gave them lodging and a place to bathe, and the lawns were filled with children, youth and adults in a special and upli�ing atmosphere, with everyone praying for the cancella�on of the decree. Even the media could not ignore this honorable event, which also unified all shades of orange. The desire to reach Gush Ka�f, or at least protest the impending injus�ce, brought masses of people to leave everything and sit there, wai�ng for the confirma�on that never came. 1 Summer 5765 - supporters of the campaign live in tents on the beaches 2 Mass rally at Lake Ka�f 3 Pesach 5765 – the march along the beach 4 Suppor�ng iden�fica�on banners at the gates of the se�lements 5 Rabbi Yigal Kaminetzky met with MK Ayoub Kara and with the leaders of the Druze community 6 Signs crying against the threat of deporta�on
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