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were interested in this angle – that four mothers who didn’t Sharon: As we were being dragged off the hill, we shouted over
seem like classic “settlers” were leading this demonstration. So and over again: “It doesn’t matter how many times you remove
we went with it. It put a positive spin on the whole story, making us, we’ll be back again and again, because this is our home and
it less militaristic, and helped Israeli society see us differently. our Land!”
The Dagan demonstration also changed the way our Israeli Marilyn: Over 200 of us were arrested, put on buses, and
neighbors viewed us. Steve Rodan from the Jerusalem Post brought to the Russian Police Compound in Beit Lechem, where
wrote about the powerful impression we made on the Israeli the IDF had a base. Some of us were released later that day, while
women in Efrat, some of whom originally viewed us as spoiled others were kept overnight.
Americans. Eve: People had a hard time absorbing that someone like me,
Coming from America, where we had to build Jewish commu- an American olah, could end up nursing her baby in a jail in Beit
nity for ourselves, perhaps we had more of an activist mentality Lechem after getting dragged off a hill.
than many of the Israelis, who were used to the government Nadia: As soon as we got home, we began planning our next
building schools and shuls for you. Aliyah to the Dagan. Hundreds of us went back up to Dagan the
next night. This time, we were quickly arrested and brought
[Ed. note: On August 4, 1995, Rodan wrote: “For the Israeli-born back to Beit Lechem.
women in Efrat, the sight of women leading men… appeared
novel. They acknowledge that most Israeli women would not Unlike the first time, however, they then put me and Rabbi
dare to confront both the government and the norms of their Shlomo Riskin in a van. We drove for hours, and had no idea
male-centered society.”] where we were going. We only found out afterwards that
activists all over Israel had heard we were arrested and were
Nadia: I remember a journalist said to me: “you know you’re demonstrating on our behalf, demanding that we be released. To
going to be evacuated soon, right?” I said: “So what, we’ll come avoid the demonstrations, the army drove us on a roundabout
back up! We’re going to build a neighborhood here for our chil- route to the Abu Kabir prison in Tel Aviv. All night long, I heard
dren – and one day, we’ll invite you for coffee.” She said: “time hundreds of demonstrators protesting outside of the jail. The
will tell”. I think it’s time to invite her back to Dagan! next day, I was brought before a judge, who released me on bail.
Months later, we had a court case, and I was punished with two
How did the demonstration on Dagan end? hundred hours of community service.
Marilyn: The police came every day we were there, saying this In the meantime, as soon as we were released, we planned our
was an illegal outpost and they had orders to take us off the hill. next Aliyah to the Dagan. That time, we brought large shipping
One morning, we even woke up to eviction notices taped onto containers to the hill, to make it more difficult for the army to
our makeshift kitchen. But they never did anything. take us down.
I had a good relationship with them and I believe they respected Ultimately, you won the battle for Dagan. What changed
what we were doing. I asked a policeman to let me know when the government’s mind?
the eviction would be, because there were many young children
on the hill and I wanted to avoid a traumatic situation. The Sharon: One of the reasons we succeeded was that we didn’t
police officer told me when the eviction would happen – on know we couldn’t. We didn’t know that we couldn’t stand up
July 31 – and we quickly got the word out to people all over the against the government, we didn’t know women couldn’t fight
country. On the day of the eviction, over 1,000 Jews came from for the Land, we didn’t know that mothers had no chance
all over Israel to support us. against the army. We didn’t know we couldn’t fight in our own
way for Eretz Yisrael, so we succeeded.
We studied Martin Luther King’s example of civil disobedience,
to ensure there would be no violence. We would be like a sack One morning we woke up to an Arab protest right outside our
camp. The Arabs had a big sign that said “fair well”, instead of
of potatoes – we wouldn’t fight the soldiers, G-d forbid, but we farewell. We took that as a good sign. They were wishing us
would make them carry us. We printed out flyers with guide- good luck!
lines, to ensure nobody spoke negatively or acted violently.
On the day of the evacuation, we yelled into the megaphone: Nadia: The local council in Efrat eventually got involved and
“Brothers, brothers, we love you – we’re doing this for you and took over the battle for Dagan and the other hills that were not
all of the Jewish people!” yet built. In the end, the local council reached an agreement
with the government, and a yeshiva was established on Dagan,
Eve: On the last day, when the army came to physically remove Yeshivat Siach Yitzchak. When this agreement was reached,
us from Dagan, it took them all day. We sat in a circle with our we declared victory, and we moved on to fighting Oslo in other
arms locked together, and chained ourselves to one another. areas of the country, and then Gush Katif.

When they brought us down to the bottom of the hill, we would Marilyn: There is a backstory to the victory that we only found
run back up. It was a chaotic scene. The government didn’t really out about later. At some point after the Dagan demonstrations,
know how to handle us; they hadn’t experienced this before. the Israeli government met with the Palestinian Authority to
This was before the forced evacuation of Gush Katif. decide which lands would be part of Areas A, B and C in Yehudah

Top right: Sharon Katz and family at the encampment.
Top left and middle: The encampment on the Dagan.
Bottom: Women protesting on the Dagan.
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