Bet Hashalom in Hevron belongs to the Jews!

Dear Friends,

The Bet Hashalom residents in Kiryat Arba Hevron asked us to post a special thanks to the hundreds of supporters from around the country, among them tens of Women in Green, who came last night, by bus and by private cars, to the emergency meeting in Kiryat Arba. They told us how moved they were and their hearts were warmed to see the incredible support from all over Israel. Indeed, people travelled all the way from the North, from Tel Aviv, Raanana, Jerusalem, Efrat, Gush Etzion, and other places to attend.

Below please find a detailed account of what happened, what is planned for the next days and weeks and what you can do to help, written by Women in Green members who are also members of the United Action Committee to save Bet Hashalom.

For beautiful pictures of the event and of the large crowd, taken by Marcia Fremont please click on:
http://picasaweb.google.com/mkfremont/EmergencyMeetingForBeitHaShalomKiryatArba #

With Love for Israel,
Ruth Matar - Nadia Matar - Anita Finkelstein
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The meeting was a great success with over 1000 people attending!

The message was very clear: Bet Hashalom was bought legally, it belongs to the Jewish owners, we are not moving and we are going to fight over it.

The event took place in the huge sports hall. On the wall hung a huge banner with a picture of Bet Hashalom on which it said (in Hebrew):

FROM THE CAVE OF THE PATRIARCHS THROUGH BEIT HASHALOM:
WE CONTINUE OUR FATHER ABRAHAM'S HOLDING IN HEBRON

At the main table were among others:

Rabbi Dov Lior, Rabbi Zalman Melamed, Rabbi Moshe Levinger, Rabbi Druckman from Kiryat Motzkin, Rabbi Waldman, Rabbi Wolpo, Rabbi Shlomo Ben Hamu, Mk Uri Ariel (National Union), MK Arieh Eldad (Hatikva), MK Otniel Shneller (Kadima), former Likud MK Ayub Kara, outgoing Kiryat Arba mayor Zvi Katzover, incoming Kiryat Arba mayor Malachi Levinger, Mendy Safedi (Druse leader who fought against the expulsion from Gush Katif and called upon the soldiers to refuse the order to expel Jews). Noam Arnon, spokesman of the Jewish community in Hebron was the MC. We also want to point out MK Nissim Zeev from Shas and congratulate him for moving, with some of his children, into Bet Hashalom and opening an office there.

Orit Struck from Hebron gave an overview of the legal aspects of the house. A short film was shown in which we clearly see the Arab getting paid huge sums of money for the house and afterwards there was a short recording in which the Arab clearly admitted he sold the house to the Jews.From all the amazing speakers we would like to point out a few:

* Rabbi Zalman Melamed gave the most practical advice as how to prevent the expulsion from Bet Hashalom. He called upon all soldiers and policemen to refuse the order. No soldier or policeman should give a hand to this immoral anti-Jewish act. If policemen are worried about losing their job, instead of actually refusing the order, they can simply faint on the day of the expulsion and thus not take part in the crime.

* Former Druze Mk Ayub Kara who came all the way from the Galilee to attend the meeting, spoke with passion about his commitment to work for the people and the Land of Israel. He received a standing ovation. Sadly very few Jewish MK's have the guts to speak the way he spoke. He clearly stated that the Kadima party is a danger to the Jewish People and that Tzippy Livni is not good for the Jews, Tzippy Livni is good for Hamas.

* MK Arieh Eldad called upon Bibi Netanyahu to speak out and to commit, already now, that when he becomes Prime Minister in a few months, that he will not give a hand to all the expulsion decrees of the Olmert government but rather will encourage the expansion of Bet Hashalom and the rest of the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. He also warned that if G-d forbid the government goes ahead with its criminal plans to expel the Jews from Bet Hashalom, we will all yearn for the days of Amona.

The most exciting part of the evening, to prove that we are not only talking but rather acting: At the end of the evening we all accompanied by foot the four families, with their mattresses, furniture, etc., who moved into Bet Hashalom and added themselves to the already existing families there.The evening was uplifting and moving and marked the official beginning of the struggle for Bet Hashalom.

How do we continue? What were the down to earth instructions?

The message is clear: as long as there are many Jews in and around Bet Hashalom, the authorities will think twice whether it is worth it for them to evacuate the place. So from this morning on (Wednesday) we must all make sure to come to Bet Hashalom with as many people as possible. Some can stay for half an hour and those who can should stay for half a day or a full day or whatever you can do. This coming Shabbat is Shabbat Chaye Sara (how ironic) in which we read about Abraham buying the Cave of the Patriarchs and thousands of Jews will spend Shabbat in Kiryat Arba Hevron.

Over the next days and weeks high schools, yeshivot and ulpanot must organize buses to bring their students there and hold their classes in Bet Hashalom.

In addition: public pressure must be high to protest the intention to evict Bet Hashalom. Bombard with faxes and phone calls all MK's and urge them to stop the eviction of Bet Haashalom. All Mk's emails, fax and phone numbers can be found at: http://www.knesset.gov.il/mk/eng/mkindex_current_eng.asp

Most important is to send faxes of protest to Defense Minister Ehud Barak who is the one who ultimately decides whether to expel the Jews or not. We must make it clear to him that on the eve of elections, the last thing he needs is another Amona.

Ehud Barak -
tel 972-3-6976663
fax: 972-3-6976218
email: pniot@mod.gov.il

Send copies to the President: to fax 972-2-6707265

Abroad:
Fax and call the Israeli embassies and consulates with one single messsage:
"Bet Hashalom in Hevron belongs to the Jews. Do not dare expel the Jews from Bet Hashalom."

Every fax, every phone call makes a difference. Emails are less taken seriously.

For the list of all Israeli Embassies in the world: http://www.science.co.il/Embassy.asp

Tachles, in one word, a massive Jewish presence and lots of public pressure can please G-d prevent the eviction order from being given at all. It is of utmost importance that we all act.

If G-d forbid they still plan to evict Bet Hashalom, we must prepare ourselves to, on a minute's notice, drop all we are doing and rush to defend Bet Hashalom.

To receive quick updates by SMS please register by sending the words (in Hebrew), etzion hafel, to number 1315 and you will get SMS in Hebrew with all the latest updates on Bet Hashalom and other struggles for Eretz Yisrael. Each SMS you get costs half a shekel.

Chazak Chazak Vanitchazek

The United Action Committee for Bet Hashalom

For the English Arutz 7 article:

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/128449

For the Jerusalem Post article with a beautiful picture of Mk Nissim Zeev moving into bet Hashalom where he opened his office
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1226404769064&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

For those who could not make it: Arutz 7 filmed the entire evening:(speeches are in Hebrew but it still worth watching to feel the electricity that was in the crowd)http://www.inn.co.il/News/News.aspx/181790
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Women For Israel's Tomorrow (Women in Green)
POB 7352, Jerusalem 91072, Israel
Tel: 972-2-624-9887 Fax: 972-2-624-5380

mailto:wfit2@womeningreen.org
http://www.womeningreen.org/