Page 43 - Signs of the End

THE SIGNS OF THE END 7

Party leaders and other spokesmen deciying the various features
of the agreement.

We were able to interview on video tape several people who
attended the rally, and discovered that a great number of them
were inhabitants of the Jewish settlements on the West Bank, or,
as they prefer; the areas of Judea, Samaria and Gaza. There is an
acronym for these areas, composed of the first letters of the
Hebrew words for Judea, Samaria and Gaza. An actual organiza­
tion named Yesha seeks to promote the causes and concerns of
the Jewish people who live in and around these territories.

The Jewish settlers feel they are being abandoned and left
exposed by the government. One should keep in mind what we
are talking about when we speak of the settlements in Yesha.
Those who have seen our TV programs about Israel have seen
the Jewish settlements we have featured in several segments.
These are not hovels nor trailer parks. These are well-ordered
suburbs with fine suburban homes. They would fit very well
indeed in many of the more desirable suburbs in the U.S. or
Europe, and represent a considerable investment of time and
resources. They are the homes these people have established for
their families over a period of 25 years.

One should also remember that almost every Israeli
settlement in Yesha is in full view of an Arab settlement or town.
The way things usually work is that the Israeli settlement is
established on a hill and the Arab village is on an adjacent hill or
in the valley below. This placement was chosen not just for
convenience, but was purposely planned by the Israeli
government for security purposes. With the Israeli Army
patrolling the area, these numerous villages live side by side
throughout Yesha in relative peace. But, if the Jewish army is
removed, the Jewish inhabitants are afraid they will be sitting
ducks for the fanatic Arab terrorists.

As we said, these Jewish settlements are suburbs, and most
of the people who live in them commute to Jerusalem or Tel
Aviv to work. The most distant settlement is less than one hour's
drive to work, and many are within a 30-minute drive. Israel is
a small country. These suburbanites are very concerned about
the roads that connect them to the major cities. Will they be