[52853] Settlement in Focus: Civil Activity in the Field and Observance of Agricultural Commandments

Activity in the Field and Settlement in Judea and Samaria

Civil activity in settlement centers in the Negev, the Galilee, and the regions of Judea and Samaria continues to gain momentum, with an emphasis on presence in the field and infrastructure development. The organization 'Goale Ha'aretz' reports, as published on YINONEWS - Yinon Magal, that its volunteers – including reservists and farmers – are engaged in "opening access paths and strategic routes," preparing land for agriculture, and placing trailers. The organization has launched a campaign under the title "One Shekel a Day" with the goal of mobilizing broad public support for the continued development of the farms, with an anonymous donor pledging to provide dozens of equipment carts upon reaching the target of 3,000 standing orders according to the Goale Ha'aretz announcement.

At the same time, hill-top settlement centers are marking the connection to tradition and the land through the observance of agricultural commandments. On the Torat Lehima - For the IDF channel, a report was shared regarding a "Reishit HaGez" (First Shearing) ceremony held yesterday at Givat Tzon Aviezer in Samaria, with the participation of Yitzhar residents and the settlement's rabbi, Rabbi Dudi Dudkevitch. According to this channel, which is identified with distinct right-wing religious positions and is critical of the current political echelon, these are "commandments of settling and inheriting the land" that serve as a connecting thread between the people of Israel and their land as noted on the Torat Lehima channel.

While both sources work to promote the settlement ideology, they emphasize different facets of this activity: while 'Goale Ha'aretz' focuses on the logistical, economic, and infrastructural aspects of creating facts on the ground, 'Torat Lehima' chooses to emphasize the value-based, religious, and spiritual dimension of staying at the settlement points.