34 1 2 34 35 Chapter Five | The Se�lements it was closed to the movement of Israelis. The road from Netzarim toward Karni remained under Israeli security responsibility and has become the only access road to Netzarim. Following a shoo�ng a�ack on the day Gaza was handed over to the Pales�nian Authority, in which a resident of the se�lement, Rami Sarid, was injured, the IDF set up a checkpoint on the route and determined that any vehicle on its way to or from Netzarim would only travel with a military escort. Since the a�acks con�nued, and the IDF did not have enough forces to escort each vehicle, a few weeks later the convoy system was established: Every fixed period of �me, at fixed hours, a well-secured convoy le� Netzarim. The main road between Netzarim and Kfar Darom was completely blocked to the movement of se�lers and Israelis in general, including IDF forces. Several educa�onal ins�tu�ons operated in Netzarim: 'Midreshet Netzarim' - a Center for the Heritage of Gaza Se�lements - engaged in collec�ng material on Jewish se�lement in Gaza over the years and holding seminars and study days throughout Israel; The 'Hesder' yeshiva 'Netser Matai,' led by Rabbi Zion Tawil, the rabbi of the se�lement, as well as the Netzarim Kolel (advanced Judaic Studies Program) and Netzarim Talmud Torah.4 The increased a�acks on Gaza Strip roads, lead to the establishment of 'Noam Netzarim' elementary school in Netzarim, as part of the 'Noam' educa�on network, and transporta�on to the educa�onal ins�tu�ons in Gush Ka�f stopped. With the outbreak of the Second In�fada, on Rosh Hashanah of 5761 (2000), the se�lement was placed under 'siege.' The Pales�nians blocked the road, and the many guests who stayed in the se�lement on Rosh Hashanah were evacuated at the end of the holiday by a Sikorsky CH-53 helicopter. In the weeks that followed, that helicopter became the main means of transporta�on in the place. On a stretch of sand, between the greenhouses, helicopters would land and take off, carrying not only the se�lers, but all the necessi�es of life, such as food, vegetables and baby formula. People were flown to work and back. This was the case for two weeks un�l the IDF reopened the road. Entry and exit were only allowed in armored vehicles, and the residents le� their private cars at the IDF checkpoint. This made life in the se�lement very difficult but did not weaken or damage the residents' faith in the righteousness of their way. In Av of 5765 (August 2005), 80 families lived in Netzarim. It was the last se�lement to be evacuated from the Gaza Strip. On the 17th of Av 5765 (08/22/2005), the residents, including soldiers who secured the se�lement, gathered in the synagogue at noon for a last prayer. The soldiers of the evacua�ng forces were not allowed to enter. The residents le� carrying the Torah scrolls and the synagogue menorah, which reminded many of the famous images of the temple menorah carried by the Roman troops of Titus a�er the destruc�on of the temple. This image became one of the symbols of disengagement.15 1 The memorial to General Rehavam Ze'evi (Gandi) in Netzarim (May God Avenge His Death) 2 A view toward Netzarim 3 Aerial photograph of Morag 4 The entrance sign to Morag Morag A religious-agricultural workers' se�lement near Rafah, the southernmost se�lement of Gush Ka�f, belonged to the Hapoel Mizrachi Moshavim Union. On the 2nd of Sivan 5732 (05/30/1972) the third Nahal stronghold in the Gaza Strip - Morag - broke ground. Located south of Khan Yunis, on a hill called Umm al-Kalb - was intended for civilianiza�on by unifying the associa�ons and kibbutzim.1 The Jewish Agency saw great importance in se�ling this place. In a le�er sent by the Director of the Jewish Agency's Se�lement Division, Yehiel Admoni, to the Coordinator of Government Ac�vi�es in the Territories, Brigadier General Shlomo Gazit, on the 12th of Av 5731 (08/08/1971), he wrote: "There is no doubt that the men�oned slot exceeds the poten�al inherent in it over any other slot located in the Gaza Strip that is proposed for Jewish se�lement. If a se�lement is to be established in the aforemen�oned slot, it would sa�sfactorily communicate with the se�lements of the Rafah and Eshkol regions. The water problem for a permanent se�lement s�ll remains unsolved, but it seems that supplying water for the stronghold phase will not present a par�cular problem."2 The official groundbreaking ceremony was held on the 3rd of Kislev 5733 (11/9/1972) and was a�ended by the Minister of Agriculture, Haim Gva�, GOC of the Central Command, Rehavam Ze'evi, and Nahal Commander, Col. Asher Dar.3 For five years, the place served as the Nahal stronghold. On the 4th of Tishrei 5738 (10/06/1977), the Director General of the Department of Se�lement at the Jewish Agency, Yehiel Admoni, announced that they were interested in turning Morag into a center for the absorp�on of new se�lers nuclei for the Rafah and Gush Ka�f regions. On the 11th of Nisan 5738 (04/18/1978) the Ministerial Commi�ee on Se�lement decided to approve the civilianiza�on of Morag and turn it into a transit camp for civilian nuclei des�ned to se�le in the region. On the 2nd of Sivan 1978 (06/20/1978) the first members of the civilian nucleus that belonged to the Agricultural Union arrived, and nine days later responsibility for the place was transferred to them.4 At the end of the 1970s, a group lived there, as a nucleus for the establishment of the Yevul se�lement in the Shalom Region, following the withdrawal from Yamit region.5
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