Evyatar compromise was an important
In 1975, an historic agreement was signed between Gush Emunim, then in its heyday, and representatives of the first Rabin government. Thousands of people had responded to the initiative of the bloc, gathering repeatedly at the old Sebastia train station in the heart of Samaria, undeterred by the cold and driving rain.
The Sebastia Compromise, as it became known, was mediated by rabbis Moshe Levinger and Hanan Porat for Gush Emunim and by minister-without-portfolio Yisrael Galili, poet Haim Gouri and defense minister Shimon Peres, on the government side.
The agreement stipulated that while the “settlers” would voluntarily leave the train station, some families from the core group intending to settle Elon Moreh would be allowed to live in the nearby Kedum military camp. The celebration that followed was the event that created the iconic image of Levinger and Porat being carried on the shoulders of the jubilant crowd.
As a direct result of the compromise, the communities of Kedumim (now a local council), Itamar and Elon Moreh emerged, and today boast thousands of families. These events led directly to the successful large-scale effort to resettle Jews north of Jerusalem and throughout Samaria.
Already then, so early on in the efforts to rebuild Jewish communities in Yesha (Judea, Samaria and Gaza), there were activists on the political Right and in the settlement movement who were unhappy with the tactical compromise, which, they believed, undermined their overall strategy and vision. Although almost five decades have passed and the movement has proven an overwhelming success, there are still some who maintain this view.
Over recent months, the settlement movement experienced an event on an unusual scale: the renewal of the Jewish presence in the settlement of Evyatar. Here, two parallel processes were manifest: Zionism
and political strategy.
Following the deadly attack at Tapuah junction about two months ago, in which Yehuda Guetta was murdered, the desire to provide a proper Zionist response to Arab terrorism fostered an important pioneering spirit in Evyatar. Thousands of youth and families mobilized for positive action to strengthen our presence in the area. It has been years since such a determined and persevering effort has been made in this regard; development and construction on the site was unusually rapid and impressively large-scale.
Evyatar, it should be noted, is also an important strategic point on the major road between Tel Aviv and the Jordan Valley. Its presence blocks the continuing illegal Palestinian encroachment of Area C, especially those dangerously close to Road 5, a vital country crossroad. Anyone who troubles to visit the site, can plainly see the building being undertaken by the Arabs from nearby
Beita, who are trying to reach the highway, similar to the dangerous precedent set by the Bedouin who took over Khan al-Ahmar next to Highway 1, near Ma’aleh Adumim. All this had to be prevented. Indeed, the Evyatar agreement reached last week is not easy for us. A voluntary evacuation of the residents is admittedly the wrong image to project in the face of Palestinian violence and terrorism.
However, this tells but a small part of the story. Those whose hearts beat with the spirit of Jewish settlement throughout the Land of Israel cannot ignore the significant achievement this agreement brings for the long run. Not only will all existing structures be left in place, including the infrastructure, but the IDF presence will be expanded. Furthermore, there is a firm government commitment for a return of a civilian presence upon completion of a legally mandated state land survey and proper planning procedures.
In view of the political constraints involved, this is a great success that the pioneers of Evyatar secured together with Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked, Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. The horizon for further settlement has opened up at a strategic time.
On the other side of the scale was the possibility of forcible eviction and clashes with the police, with long-term consequences for the youth involved and the entire settlement enterprise. Such a confrontation would surely have brought satisfaction to Yesha’s detractors, both near and far, without achieving anything positive.
Of course the last word has not yet been spoken. It is now our job to continue to push, promote and ensure that the Evyatar agreement is respected in full. We must be vigilant in seeing to it that the processes agreed upon are implemented by the government, and the legal establishment is not permitted to fall into the bureaucratic abyss of endless delays and paperwork. There is much more to be done and the road is long, we have not yet achieved our full vision for Israel’s heartland. Politically unhindered construction and development toward complete Israeli sovereignty remains the goal, and we are slowly moving toward its fulfillment.
Throughout the history of Israeli renewal in Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley, the Yesha Council has worked with other agencies, governmental and nongovernmental, to build, develop and grow our communities. At times the process has included similar agreements and compromises that on the surface appeared to some as a step backward. But all precedents have proven to be important big steps forward.
As we have learned in Sebastia and dozens of other places, the tactical agreements we brokered have changed the map of Judea and Samaria and will continue to do so. If we stay focused and determined, we can meet our strategic goals.