Gush Etzion: Tour of settlements in "Eastern Gush Etzion" towards the Dead Sea

The big hoax

We’ve been wanting to check what was being done in the area southeast of Jerusalem and Bethlehem for quite a while. The signs refer to it as "Gush Etzion Mizrah (east)", even though it is a double-digit number of kilometers away from the small Gush Etzion, which existed before 1948. We saw Palestinian settlements blocked off all around with iron gates and mounds of rocks and dirt; We saw abandoned houses and signs for "Jewified" (appropriated) water springs. We decided to see the settlements there against the background of the accelerated construction in the area.  It is impossible to hide the goal of creating a contiguous territorial sequence of settlements between Gush Etzion and the Dead Sea region, while dissecting the occupied territories. This is how continuous Palestinian control of the West Bank is prevented.

Rachel's Tomb: We arrived the day after the revelry on the occasion of the death of Rachel our mother, according to the tradition of “those in the know” on the eleventh day of the month of Heshvan, at the birth of her second son. She was buried between Jerusalem and Bethlehem and thus every year Checkpoint 300 is closed for two days in honor of the event. Another reason to torture Palestinians. Even today, the 12th of Heshvan, the event was still in full force and will probably continue like this for another two days. There is a huge crowd at the women’s section, as the kosher women of Israel come in droves to pray for their wombs to bear fruit. We gave up on prayer.

Yona, who grew up looking at the picturesque images of Rachel's tomb on the high road, the beautiful structure with the dome, was shocked by the ugly fortification that hides the dome and is completely surrounded by high gray walls.  The large men’s section, the tiny central space for women only and much dilapidation all around. The new murals pathetically try to recall the old look.

We circled the building and visited the settlement hidden behind the tomb, above and to the side of the Bnei Yosef yeshiva, where the students and their families live. Much neglect and disrepair. 

We also met a planning team with maps for the implementation of the expected changes to the accessibility of Rachel's Tomb, for which 12 million shekels were allotted by this government. They didn't want to talk.

Abdallah Ibrahim Checkpoint: is on the access road to the Efrat settlement and also leads to lands owned by Palestinians from Wadi Rahal. Manned by the security guards of the Efrat settlement. The transition is possible only according to lists.

Since the war (7th of October) access to the checkpoint has been blocked by a gate. Since the expansion of Efrat continues, it can be estimated that in the morning the builders and cleaners still pass through the place.

Ibei HaNachal: We drove on road 3698, which descends eastward from the villages of Tekoa and Kishon  towards the area where the Rashaida tribe resides. On the right is the entrance to the Ibei HaNahal outpost, established by Breslav Hasids who aspired to live close to nature in the late 1990s. Officially, it is considered a 'neighborhood' of the nearby Ma'ale Amos settlement, and like similar 'neighborhoods' in the territories, this one too was established without outline plans, that is, in violation of the law.

Since its establishment, a few single families have lived there and the place remains neglected. A few years ago dozens of families of religious settlers entered the place, which led to the start of the “legalizing” procedures for the outpost. As is customary in places of this type, here too, over the years, the settlers took over about 130 dunams of Palestinian agricultural land, especially the village of Kisan. These days very significant earthworks and construction are being carried out there. The Ministry of Housing financed infrastructure and approved an electricity connection.

Most of the settlers still live in caravans, but in 2021 work began to build permanent homes. In 2022 they were approved as a neighborhood of Ma'ale Amos. This is how they spread in the occupied territories, an outpost turns into a neighborhood and another neighborhood and - hopefully - a city rises and if it is under the control of Israel.

The construction boom is in full swing and many Palestinian workers are building huge, luxurious houses covered in Jerusalem stone. We met a pleasant settler who said that she came from England "to settle the Land of Israel," she lived in a trailer for years and now she lives in one of the luxurious houses. Life in the place is really "okay". The work is mainly outside the settlement - in Jerusalem. Excellent education, social life. To our question about the neighbors we answered that they are fine. "Afraid and know their place... Only sometimes the Hamasniks incite them."

Of the daily lawless harassment of the Jews against the Palestinian farmers and shepherds - not a word of course.

Ma'ale Amos: a bit of history - this is the first ultra-Orthodox settlement in the Gush. Established in 1982 by Yeshiva students from the "Esh HaTorah" yeshiva in Jerusalem, with the help of the Herut Beitar Farms movement. The main goal was to provide a solution to the housing crisis of the students. Among the first settlers were Aryeh Deri (who was the secretary of the settlement) and Uri Zohar before he moved to Jerusalem. Today it is a more heterogeneous settlement and has more diverse ultra-Orthodox communities.

We walked around a bit - neglect and poor landscaping near the settlers' houses and also in the public areas. There are magnificent playgrounds. Basically there is no security fence. Now a neighborhood of new uniform houses is being built.

Ein Amos: about a kilometer after the turn to the banks of the river, a brown sign "Ein Amos" which directs one to a point in the heart of an agricultural area, which in the not-too-distant past was cultivated by Palestinians. During the second intifada these were forced to leave the place. There is no spring there. What is there is a cistern, which was used for generations by the Palestinian population that lives in this semi-arid area. One of probably tens of thousands of water cisterns, which are scattered in the West Bank and were robbed by the settlers. A threatening settler inscription is smeared on the looted cistern under the title of Deportation. Two tables and benches. Welcome to "Ein Amos". We stopped to celebrate Roni's birthday, we tried to light candles in the blowing wind, we ate a birthday cake, accompanied by crackers and cheese and after some coffee a song and a blessing.

We returned to Jerusalem via the "Lieberman Road" and the Mazmuria checkpoint. There are 4 positions for soldiers on the main street of the village of El Deir, today only one is manned with drawn guns. The shop owners complain about the harassment of the passers-by.

 Most of the roadblocks established since the Gaza war and preventing travel south on highways 356 and 398 still exist. How long??