Deputy Minister Michael Oren had a very busy day on Sunday, touring the entirety of Gush Etzion.
But what Oren found most impressive today was his visit to the Eitam Hill in Efrat, which he later spoke about at HubEtzion in the Gush Etzion Industrial park. He compared it to the Chanukah story.
Led by Elyashiv Kimchi, a small group of people are building the newest neighborhood of Efrat in memory of Ari Fuld, HY”D.
The Jewish pioneers are taking a barren hill and turning it into a farm, eventually it will turn into a youth village, and one day, it will be a full-fledged neighborhood of Efrat with thousands of apartments and the largest neighborhood of Efrat.
On the hill, Oren met and spoke with Ari’s wife, children and parents, as well as with members of the Efrat counter-terrorist unit, which Ari was a member of. It also happens that Ari taught karate to Oren’s children.
While at HubEtzion, Oren said that Israel may soon find themselves again at the negotiations table with the Palestinian Authority, which he will be a part of. He said the difference between these negotiations and past negotiations is that this time Israel will start from the position that all of the land of Israel belongs to the nation of Israel, to the last millimeter.
If Oren’s right and peace talks are on their way, that certainly makes the work of Kimchi and Jewish pioneers like him, all the more important.
Photos by Avi Abelow and Rachel Moore.