3 5 4 1 2 18 19 Chapter Four | The 1968 Government Plan for the Renewal of the Se�lements Chapter Four The 1968 Government Plan for the Renewal of the Se�lements A year a�er the Six-Day-War, on the 11th of Iyar 5728 (05/09/1968), Yigal Alon, Deputy Prime Minister at the �me, submi�ed a proposal to the government to establish two se�lements between Rafah and Gaza City in the format of the Nahal strongholds, or in the form of civilian se�lements. In the explana�on to the proposal it was stated: There are land slots which can be made suitable, with an inexpensive prepara�on. These se�lements are of the utmost importance for the poli�cal future of the strip, by spli�ng the strip south from Gaza city. Also, there is great security importance to a Jewish presence in the heart of Gaza.1 The ra�onales for establishing these se�lements served as the basis for the 'Five Finger Plan,' which was presented three years later. Despite the proposal, only one year later, on the 2nd of Elul 5729 (09/13/1969), the Golda administra�on made a decision on the establishment of two Nahal strongholds in the Gaza Strip: The first in Abu Madyan (later - Netzarim), and the second in Kfar Darom - re-establishing the se�lement in the place.2 Another year had passed, and on the 11th of Tishrey 5731 (10/11/1970) the Nahal stronghold was established in Kfar Darom - the first in the Gaza Strip. The date was symbolic: The 11th of Tishrei 5707 (10/04/1946) was the day when Kfar Darom got on the ground as part of the venture to establish 11 outposts in the Negev.3 It was the beginning of Jewish se�lement in the Gaza Strip. The renewal of the se�lement in Kfar Darom was perceived by Alon and his friends as an act of historical jus�ce. The increase in acts of terrorism in the early seven�es boosted proposals for the accelerated establishment of new se�lements as the Zionist response to terrorism.4 Augmen�ng the se�lement in the Gaza Strip was part of this effort. The principle was breaking the sequence of hundreds of thousands of Pales�nian Arabs by the establishment of Jewish se�lements. The Knesset associated that trend with inser�ng Jewish 'fingers' into the Gaza Strip from the territory of Israel that would be connected to the territorial sequence of sovereign Israel. The first finger - a se�lement block in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, intended to stretch the Jewish se�lement south of Ashkelon, and up to the suburbs of Beit Hanoun and Gaza. Elei Sinai, Dugit and Nisanit were established there later on. The second finger - in the Abu Madyan area, intended to cut through the sequence of Arab se�lements between Gaza and Deir al-Balah. Netzarim was established in that region. Originally, the plan was to establish three se�lements there. The third finger - a block of se�lements designed to cut between Deir al-Balah and Khan Yunis. Ka�f, Netzer Hazani and Ganei Tal were established there, and were later joined by Kfar Darom. The fourth finger - a block of se�lements designed to cut between Khan Yunis and Rafah. Gan Or, Gadid, Bedolah, Bnei Atzmon, Morag, Pe'at Sadeh and Rafiah Yam were established there. A�er the evacua�on of Sinai, a prominent regional center - Neve Dekalim - was established halfway between these two fingers, combining these two se�lement blocks into one large se�lement block, namely: 'Gush Ka�f.' The fi�h finger was the Rafah area (Yamit Region), intended to create a residen�al buffer between the Gaza Strip and Northern Sinai. The se�lement in this area preceeded the se�lement within the Gaza Strip. The biggest advocate favoring this venture was Arik Sharon, the IDF's Southern Command GOC at the �me. In Tammuz of 5731 (July 1971) Sharon took ministers Yigal Alon and Israel Galili for a tour of the Gaza Strip. The helicopter that carried them landed on a high dune in the center of the strip. The se�lement Netzarim - established on a year later to the day - was s�ll a far-fetched vision for the distant future. Sharon described the stronghold establishment plan he had prepared in the hope that these would become permanent se�lements. According to Sharon, the eyes of the two ministers, veteran se�lers, sparkled and gleamed the more he elaborated the proposal.5 1 Ariel Sharon at the groundbreaking ceremony of Kfar Darom 2 The Ka�f stronghold 1973 3 Soldiers secure the train near Kfar Darom 4 Nahal soldiers in Kfar Darom 5 The Five Fingers Plan map
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