| Tuesday, May 18, we left our friends in Gush Katif and exitied the Gaza Strip through the Kissufim junction, on our way to the southern part of the West Bank, known as "Yehudah" or Judea. We saw that many Arab homes along the road, used for staging terror attacks against the Jews, had been cleared, but many homes still remained within close range, posing an ongoing threat to Jewish travelers. We drove northeast on our way to the southwestern Hebron hill community of Negohot. Driving along we saw again the large, palatial Arab homes that sprawled within the valleys. Na'ama Leibner served as our guide in Negohot, a community of 30 hilltop families threatened with evacuation by the Israeli government. A few homes that make up what the government calls an "outpost" were ordered to be evacuated by May 17. In response, the community planned a well-advertised dedication of a Torah scroll for May 27, and hundreds of supporters from all over the country came to show solidarity. Among them were two of our AFSI travelers, Charlotte Wahle and Phil Beachey. This is a photo of some children in Negohot. Children are one of the biggest "industries" in the Yesha, and most families have anywhere from three to six children. And they always seem to be laughing and having a good time! |
