3 5 4 12 70 71 Chapter Five | The Se�lements Rafiah Yam A mixed community se�lement in the Rafah area, the westernmost se�lement in the State of Israel un�l the evacua�on, belonged to the Agricultural Center Movement In Tamuz of 5744 (July 1984) the communal se�lement of Rafiah Yam broke ground. 12 families arrived at the temporary point, not far from the city of Rafah. Several things set it apart: It was the first and only se�lement in the Gaza Strip established by the Agricultural Center Movement; It was the westernmost se�lement in the State of Israel; And the closest se�lement in the Gaza Strip to the Egyp�an border. Also, the permanent se�lement was established at the highest point in Gush Ka�f.7 In Tamuz of 5753 (June 1983) a rese�lement opera�on was held in Kfar HaMaccabiah for all se�lements in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, in collabora�on with the Yesha Council and the Center for Orienta�on to Development Ci�es. The response was amazing: 1500 families showed interest in se�ling in the Gaza Strip. 40 percent of all applicants for se�lement in Judea, Samaria and Gaza (Yesha) registered for se�lement in the Gaza Strip - the highest percentage. The big surprise was that most applicants were secular. It was proof of the correct approach of Reuven Rosenbla� and Zvi Handel, the first two Heads of the Gaza Coast Regional Council, that the Gaza Strip can draw not only religious people but all sectors of the popula�on in Israel. Ha'aretz newspaper reported with admira�on that Gush Ka�f is ready to take in secular se�lers as well."8 The council recruited Yigal Segal, who was the Head of the Rafiah Region Regional Council, to engage in bringing in non-observant se�lers. His role was to act as a coordinator and catalyst for the various par�es involved in establishing the secular se�lements, such as the various se�lement movements, the Se�lement Division of the World Zionist Organiza�on, and the Rural Development Administra�on. Segal also gathered names of candidates for this se�lement and made sure to maintain contact with them.9 For lack of means of produc�on we worked as salaried employees Ami Shaked: Rafiah Yam, unlike other se�lements, was not an agricultural se�lement. It was intended for tourism and aquaculture, but we didn't get the means for that. That's why most of us were career soldiers in the IDF , employees of the council or external workers. I worked outside as a farmer. When my daughter was one year old, I decided to work in Gush Ka�f as a council security patrol person. I was a single person protec�ng the rights of the State of Israel in its land. There was no area we were absent from, from the Erez checkpoint to Rafah. Following the success of the rese�lement opera�on, the first secular se�lement group was organized in Gush Ka�f. The council assigned for it an area of empty dunes, state lands located north of Rafah, southwest of Khan Yunis. The first obstacle was the difficulty in finding a se�ling movement. As men�oned, the Hapoel-HaMizrachi Moshavim Union opposed the secular se�lement and refused to provide patronage to the new nucleus, but the other se�lement movements also followed suit because they did not believe in the economic viability of a se�lement on sandy soil. Finally, the nucleus was added to the Agricultural Center.10 The temporary site of the se�lement was established close to the sea, about a one kilometer north of the Egyp�an border. As the bulldozers leveled the ground and the new trailers were brought on site, they were watched by the Egyp�an soldiers who had deployed along the new border the previous year. In 5749 (September 1988) the construc�on of the first 26 permanent homes of the se�lement began.11 At the beginning of 5752 (end of 1991) the residents moved into the new homes in the se�lement. 1 Aerial photograph of Rafiah Yam 2 Children are playing in the se�lement 3 Avi Zakuto at the introduc�on of a Torah scroll in Rafiah Yam 4 A monument in memory of Amos Sa'ada (May God Avenge His Death), who was murdered in the greenhouses of the se�lement 5 Ami Shaked, a resident of Rafiah Yam and security coordinator in the council, with two of his soldiers by his side The right to par�cipate in the establishment of a new se�lement Avi Zakuto: In 1982, a year and a half a�er I got married, I came to Tel Aviv to the Agricultural Center, and heard from them that there are several se�lements I could join. One of them was Rafiah Yam, which had about ten families at the �me. I came to visit, I fell in love with the place, the view, the people, and I decided it was my place. I felt that I had the opportunity to par�cipate in the establishment of a new se�lement in the Land of Israel, just as my parents established Moshav Olesh in the Sharon region.
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