2 3 5 4 1 68 69 Chapter Five | The Se�lements Kfar Yam A singles se�lement on the seashore, west of Neve Dekalim. It belonged to the 'Amana' Se�lement Movement In the mid-1980s, the Gaza Coast Regional Council was intensively involved in the development of tourism in its area, and was naturally eying the seashore. There, in front of Neve Dekalim, stood a row of houses that in the distant past belonged to the Egyp�an government. The Egyp�ans used them as a convalescent home for Egyp�an officers. The regional council thought: If the Egyp�ans could use them as a convalescent home, why can't we also use them for tourism? The security system objected. There were excuses galore: Security issues, legal issues and even engineering-safety issues. The person who came to the aid of the council was the GOC of the Southern Command at the �me, Moshe (Bril) Bar-Kochva. He gathered all the senior officers in the command to the "houses that ended up by the sea" (quo�ng the beloved poem by Ehud Manor), and there, he asked Rosenbla� what he needed. Rosenbla� picked up the gauntlet: "Neve Dekalim sits by the beach. It is unperceived that the residents of Neve Dekalim will not be able to develop tourism here. There are structures here that do not belong to any private person. Everything belongs to the state. I want these structures." Brill turned to the officers and asked for their opinion. Everyone explained why this is impossible, and what are the problems that prevent it from happening. Brill listened, and a�er everyone had finished, he said: "I decided to give Reuven and the Jewish se�lement this area. You all have ranks on your shoulders, not in order to tell me what the problems are, but to solve them. I request that within one week, a file be placed on my desk, with recommenda�ons from each of you, on how to give these structures to the se�lement." And so it was. Later, it was decided to give the Khan Yunis Arabs part of the structures, to calm their spirits.1 The heart of Nir and Miriam Peleg was also cap�vated by these abandoned structures. Nir, a member of Kibbutz Mashabei Sadeh, met Miriam in the kibbutz, a�er returning from his military service in an elite squad, when she came there as a member of the Nahal Brigade. They le� the kibbutz, and for a short �me lived in Kadesh Barne'a, a small se�lement on the Egyp�an border. Then, they migrated to Jerusalem, and from there, to Rehovot, all the while dreaming of living in a small rural se�lement. One day they arrived at Gush Ka�f and were cap�vated by the charm of the beach. In Shevat of 5746 (February 1986) they began to renovate the structures, floored them, connected them to the water line and entered the structures which were located about 50 meters from the sea. The renova�on works posed no problem for them. While s�ll in Jerusalem, they owned a sealing and tarring company. Shaya Deutsch, from Moshav HaZor'im near Tiberias, a handsome bachelor, whose golden curls flowed over his shoulders, was also looking for a quiet place to live. He came to the place with Nir and Miriam, and also built his house there with his own two hands. The place was called Kfar Yam. Shaya and Nir dreamed of establishing a holiday village there, and also a fishing village. "You know what it's like to go out a�er the storm with tourists, at a 10-15 km distance from the coast, for a fishing trip? This is an unusual experience. Something crazy" - said Shaya Deutsch.2 The two were later joined by two more bachelors (at the �me): Yossi Cohen, whose parents lived in Neve Dekalim, and Datya Hershkowitz, who then served as an instructor at Midreshet HaDarom, and later became the spokesperson of the regional council. Datya remained a resident of the place even a�er she married the historian Aryeh Yitzchaki. Shaya never got to fulfil his dream. On the 7th of Nisan 5753 (03/29/1993) he was stabbed to death by an Arab in his private greenhouses, on the main road of Gush Ka�f. The stabber managed to escape. The few residents of Kfar Yam made a living from advanced greenhouse agriculture and free trades. On the 20th of Tevet 5761 (01/14/2001) Roni Salah was murdered in the greenhouses where he worked in Kfar Yam. The terrorists wanted to kidnap him to Gaza and from there, apparently, to nego�ate his release. He fought them for a long �me, and a�er a short drive of about 200 meters, the terrorists realized that they would not be able to kidnap him. During another fight that broke out in a nearby onion plot, he was shot dead. His body was found only the next day.3 In Av of 5764 (August 2005), two families lived in Kfar Yam: Peleg and Yitzchaki.4 The evacua�on was carried out on Thursday, 13th of Av 5765 (08/18/2005).5 One of the most publicized dramas took place precisely there, when Aryeh Itzchaki, with his personal weapon in hand, barricaded himself on the roof of his house with his family members, Nadia Matar and a group of boys. The police closed the place and began to nego�ate with him. In the evening, a compromise was reached, the weapon was handed over in exchange for a promise that there would be no arrests. Hundreds of soldiers broke into the house and evacuated the dozens of barricaders.6 1 Aerial photograph of Kfar Yam 2 The amusement facili�es in the se�lement 3 A view of Kfar Yam from the south 4 A view of Kfar Yam from the north 5 A seaside village near the sea I could not find the key in the dark Datya Itzchaki: Life in Kfar Yam was very complicated. There was no electricity, and the se�lement was pitch black. If you did not light candles, there was no light. I would arrive at Kfar Yam with the key to the house in my hand, because it was difficult to find it in the dark. The water was also problema�c, when we did laundry it was impossible to shower. In the house's back yard there were facili�es for children because Kfar Yam was seen as an isolated place, and the children had to be entertained. We set up a playground for them in the yard, from all kinds of facili�es that other se�lements threw away.
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