3 5 6 4 1 2 32 33 Chapter Five | The Se�lements We brought in construc�on materials in our private vehicles Shlomo Kos�ner: Nego�a�ons took place between Zambish and Zvi Handel to accept the kibbutz. It didn't go well, and a�er Oslo, the Division also wanted the place, because there were big buildings there. We planned a two-story synagogue, with a bomb shelter on the lower floor. It was necessary to bring dozens of concrete mixers. The Pales�nians decided that they would not let trucks with construc�on materials go through. The IDF was in charge of the road's security. The IDF no�fied them because it did not want any confronta�ons. One day, they suggested that Dahlan come and see that only a synagogue was being built... we never stopped construc�on. We put cement and bricks into our private vehicles. We con�nued to build, parallel to a difficult poli�cal and security reality. The official groundbreaking ceremony was held eight months later, on the 29th of Cheshvan 5733 (11/06/1972).6 It seems there was no such Nahal stronghold as Netzarim, which all se�lement movements insisted on holding on to, and not necessarily with the inten�on of civilianizing it. Apart from the Religious Kibbutz Movement, which genuinely wanted to see Netzarim as a civilian se�lement, the other Kibbutz Movements saw Netzarim as a sort of 'forma�on camp' for their Nahal nuclei. The result was that Netzarim, as a stronghold, migrated almost between all se�lement movements - Beitar, the Na�onal Kibbutz of Mapam, the Union of the Associa�ons and Kibbutzim, the United Kibbutz (the la�er two have been united within the TAKAM framework) and the Religious Kibbutz.7 For eight years, Netzarim served as a Nahal stronghold. Only in the summer of 5740 (1980) the opportunity arised to civilianize that point. Itzik Amitai and Shlomo Deutsch, members of Moshav HaZor'im in the Lower Galilee, came to Netzarim at the behest of the first Head of Council of the Gaza Strip, Reuven Rosenbla�. At that �me there was an IDF Control Headquarters on site. A few hours later, a helicopter landed in Netzarim, and Ariel Sharon, Chairman of the Ministerial Commi�ee for Se�lement Affairs, emerged from it. Sharon listened pa�ently to what the officers said, and when everyone finished talking, he said: "Well, I'm concluding the discussion. From here to the right - it belongs to civilians. From here to the le� - it belongs to the soldiers. "You" - he turned to Itzik and Shlomo - "are religious young people who need a synagogue. The soldiers do not need this club anymore. You may get it right now. Leave the dining room to them." And so, right away, Deutsch and Amitai received half of the Netzarim army camp, to establish a se�lement.8 The two hurried to organize families. They traveled across the country, and within two weeks formed a nucleus of 15 families, some with small children. On the 6th of Av, 5741 (07/19/1980), the Se�lement Department of the World Zionist Organiza�on decided to turn Netzarim into a transit camp for se�lement groups des�ned for Gush Ka�f. The very next day, the first members of the first nucleus, that received the name 'Gan Or,' entered Netzarim, and the se�lement was officially civilianized.9 They resided there for three years. In the summer of 5743 (August 1983), members of Moshav Gan Or moved to their permanent loca�on in Gush Ka�f. Camp Netzarim returned to its original name. On the 11th of Cheshvan 5744 (10/18/1983) Netzarim returned to be a Nahal stronghold designated for the Religious Kibbutz Movement.10 On the 22nd of Tamuz 5744 (07/22/1983) Netzarim was established as a civilian kibbutz of the Religious Kibbutz Movement.11 On the first day of Adar A 5749 (02/06/1989) the first permanent houses of the kibbutz and the renovated dining hall were inaugurated in Netzarim.12 A year a�er the establishment of the se�lement, it included just 45 people, most of them temporary, and only two families. The Religious Kibbutz struggled to recruite more people to se�le there. Five years later, there were only nine families in the se�lement. The young kibbutz never exceeded a dozen families. Kibbutz Netzarim included four families at the end of 5751 (1991), plus some twenty male and female Nahal youth. Eight years a�er being civilianized, the se�lement once again seemed to become a Nahal stronghold, with several families residing there as well. Following the a�empted a�ack, we established the school Hanan Visner: Most of Netzarim children studied in Atzmona. I taught in Atzmona and had students who came every morning from Netzarim on the school bus. They were late many �mes due to the need for security escort and coordina�on with the Pales�nians. In 5756 (1995), following a failed a�ack by a suicide bomber on the bus, we approached Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and asked to establish a school in Netzarim. He approved, and a Noam network school was established - 'Noam Netzarim.' The Sukkots were put up for sale by helicopter Gershon Yona: On Rosh Hashanah of 5761, the war on the road began, and it was closed. We turned to the GOC, Major General Yom-Tov Samia, and I told him: "We need to set up a flight forma�on here." The MG agreed. One of the residents was in the business of selling Sukkot Nahalim. Before the war, he brought in about 300 Sukkots and could not go out. They decided to take out the Sukkots in a Sikorsky CH-53 helicopter so that he could sell them. One day, I heard the pilots' internal radio: "What do they bring in the helicopters?" The other pilot answered: "I really don't know..." I intervened and said: "We are doing a mitzvah for the people of Israel, so they have Sukkot for the holiday and help a family to make a living." Then, the pilot said: "So I am an accomplice in a great mitzvah!". The reasons for this was: Those who wanted to live in a kibbutz, did not long to come to Netzarim. And those who found it important to se�le Netzarim for ideological reasons, were not enthusias�c about the kibbutz lifestyle. The second Head of the Gaza Coast Council, Zvi Hendel, decided to establish a new large neighborhood in Netzarim, in the format of a communal se�lement. The large immigra�on from the Soviet Union in those years helped realize the decision by bringing in new motor homes. The kibbutz also approved the establishment of a communal neighborhood next to it. In a sense, the Netzarim B program, which existed during the Golda Meir administra�on, has been resurrected. At the end of 5753 (1993), 17 families already resided in Netzarim. At that �me, the kibbutz reached the end of its road, and its houses - ten rela�vely new ones and 20 pre-fab concrete houses - were abandoned. On the eve of Yom Kippur 5754 (end of October 1993), a group of about ten families (out of 22 who were then living in motor homes in Netzarim) got organized and in a clandes�ne, perfectly organized opera�on, entered the abandoned houses, while the pre-ordered trucks transferred all their belongings within one night. Council Head Hendel and his predecessor, Reuven Rosenbla�, came to help with the move, as well as some residents from Kfar Maimon.13 Since then, the number of residents began increasing. The se�lement had religious features, and its community included educators, farmers and professionals. Netzarim was the only se�lement whose lifestyles were completely changed by the Oslo Accords. According to the agreement, the road from Netzarim to Gush Ka�f (Road No. 4 - the Tencher axis) was handed over to an overall Pales�nian responsibility, civilian and security-wise, and in prac�ce 1 The synagogue in Netzarim in the final stages of its construc�on 2 The entrance to the school in Netzarim 3 Students at the 'Netser Matai' Yeshiva in Netzarim 4 Girls play on the streets of Netzarim 5 The pe�ng zoo in Netzarim 6 Tight security over Netzarim
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