New arrivals fight West Bank plan

Just down the road is Homesh, which has also been bolstered by an influx of religious residents after a series of terrorist attacks several years ago prompted an exodus of families. Further north in two settlements just outside Jenin, financially struggling settlers have been waiting for years for compensation that will enable them to leave - but they have opposed allowing newcomers who would challenge an evacuation.

"It's not coincidental that the northern West Bank was selected because it is the most sparsely settled," says Yossi Alpher, the former head of the Jaffe Center for Strategic Studies. "You couldn't evacuate an area the same size [elsewhere] without having to move a lot more settlers."

The expert said the parallel withdrawals were necessary to reassure the Palestinians and the international community that Israel considers Gaza and the West Bank as part of one political entity.

Despite the small number of settlers, the evacuation in the West Bank could be more difficult than in Gaza. Reinforcements from other ideologically fervent West Bank settlements are only a short drive away. And the military will have to put up more roadblocks in the West Bank than in Gaza, which is surrounded by a border fence.

Founded as an artists' village on the grounds of a prison originally built by the Ottoman Turks, Sa-Nur residents once hoped that they could cooperate with neighboring Palestinian villagers to attract tourists. But since the violence began five years ago, many have become critical of the peace negotiations.

A restored stone citadel now houses a museum brimming with works of art containing overt political messages. A sculpture entitled "negotiations" shows a bowl of Molotov cocktails on a table with one chair broken and the other chair with nails sticking up from the seat. Another sculpture depicting the divide among Israelis over the withdrawal shows a piece of fabric fraying at the seams, held together by crude staples.

Julia Segal, an artist and curator of the museum says the arrival of the religious families has eased the artists' isolation. "Now I feel like I have an older brother and he is standing over me."

Below the museum in the tent neighborhood, peals of laughter mixed with the splashing of children playing in a giant swimming tub. Next to it is the communal outdoor kitchen: two refrigerators, a sink, and several picnic tables.

In the Frenkel family tent, 16-year-old Nechama shows visitors a "room" separated by sheets draped over a cord. The tent absorbs heat from the powerful Middle Eastern summer sun, bringing the temperature inside to a stifling 102 degrees F. But the less than ideal conditions don't bother her.

"If it's an issue of the last stage, before the Arabs take over the region, then the idea is to hold out for as long as possible," she said. "It's our calling as Jews in the Land of Israel."

Page: 1 | 2