European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 09, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Dail Magazine hmm Mhz a Mem a a Israel s troublesome new pioneers. Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem to the Oak Elon of Moreh. At that time the canaanites were in the land. Then the lord appeared unto Abram and said to your descendants i will give this land " genesis 12 by Richard c. Gross United press International Eborah Chen who left her friends in Newyork to Settle in Israel now gets frightened to think that she and her two children live at strategic outpost guarding an approach to Tel Aviv. Yet she and hundreds of others like her have Given up material comforts to live at such spartan outposts on the West Bank of the Jordan River. It is their conviction inspired by the Bible and sparked by a War Israel nearly lost that this Rocky land should forever be jewish. The civilian settlement straddling a Hilltop and protected by a military Camp at its Western end might appear resemble a stockade fort in the Middle of Indian territory in the american West a Century ago. But Elon Moreh and it. Apache  one thing the settlement of 230 persons is not under seige by the native population in the 10 Arab Vil Lages that surround it. Rather Elon Moreh and 30 other settlements like implanted among the 610,000 palestinians in the West Bank Are under attack from the Arab nation As a whole and even from Israel s Only reliable ally the United states. By opening new settlements in the West Bank thousands of jews most of them religious have fur ther complicated to the already Complex Arab israeli conflict in their desire to rekindle the pioneering spirit that created Israel. They Are part of the militant movement called gush Munim bloc of the faithful an increasingly powerful right Wing group that has the support of prime minister Menahem begin and most of his government. It is not a political party  recently legalized Elon Moreh and two other settlements set up More than a year ago much to the dismay of president Carter who had signalled his desire for an end to further settlements at least until after the Geneva peace conference  begin s move Only encouraged gush Munim to strike out in new directions. It brought Forth plans to Settle 14 Sites with the apparent support of such powerful figures As foreign minister Moshe Dayan. His policy states the Only Way to achieve peace in the Middle East is for Arab and jew to live Side by Side. West Bank arabs questioned on this policy said the disagreed with it because one said it is Nice on paper but is not  but it is difficult to discern exactly what the arabs think. Like any invaded people who May have to switch sides at the strike of the sword they choose the Middle of the Road so As not to create problems for themselves. They May fear the Palestine liberation organization will Brand them traitors if they cooperate with the jews. They May fear reprimands by the israeli military authorities u they do not cooperate. It is hard for them to be themselves because they do not govern themselves. The Best illustration of this emerged during conversations in English with Arab elders at of a Kadum a Vil Lage of 2,000 persons and Dusty unpaved streets situated several Miles up the winding Asphalt Road from the Garri soned settlement. The Garrison is called Camp  elders said they never held a formal meeting with the jews at Elon Moreh nor did they want such a meet ing. They said they did not want a jewish settlement on what they said had been Village land before the 1967middle East War when 7,000 persons lived at far  Levine 31, and Yitzhak Yaffin 29, insisted such a meeting occurred two months ago Between seven Vil Lage elders and seven members of the settlement s secretariat the elected town Council like body. There is As yet no mayor. To these two men the meeting at Elon Moreh undertaken at the invitation of the settlement was proof Arab and jew could live together peacefully. Even so some of the settlers bitterly opposed the meeting because Yafo said there were some who thought we should ignore the arabs. We talked about digging a Well and sharing the water and the possibility of Arab employment Here since none of us Are skilled at technical projects such As construction Yaffin said sitting in the Wood Shack that was the secretariat office. Whatever it was the Arab elders had their reasons for denying such a meeting took place. Other meetings also Are on the Agenda with other Arab villages. The Hilltop where Elon Moreh is situated was jordanian army base before the War. The settlement has been allocated 175 acres. Most of the men in Elon Moreh Are professionals doctors lawyers and teachers. Half of them commute to Tel Aviv or other cities in the area. Three couples including one that runs the combined vegetable grocery store Are of american  Moreh is situated below a rounded Barren Hill the military has designated Hill 510. From its Summit the skyscrapers of Tel Aviv 25 Miles to the Southwest and the burnished glint of the sea beyond Are visible on a Clear  settlement in effect is at a strategic military Point on the Road West because it overlooks and thu guards one of the approaches to Tel Aviv Israel s biggest  s so scary when i think of it said Chen 25, Auburn hair pulled Back in a Pony Tail. I m putting myself Andy two children in a strategic position to protect Tel  and her husband David a surgeon at Echilov Hospi Tal in Tel Aviv have a 2-year-old daughter and an 8-week-old son. They have been married four years and lived in Tel Aviv before coming to Elon Moreh a year  said she did not want to leave my friends and All i knew in the far Rockaway Section of new York City to come to Israel. But now she lives with the conviction that it is the duty of the jews to Settle the land the Bible says was Given to them. This conviction is a byproduct of the october,1973, War which some people in Israel regard As having been lost despite its military victories. Elon Moreh near Nablus is among the 31 israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank of the Jordan River. Up settling occupied land 25 Miles from Tel Aviv. New York times gush Munim Rose from the ashes of depression i which Israel wallowed in the months after the War. The movement has an estimated 25,000 followers and is begin Ning to get financial contributions from jews abroad. The War had a tremendous Impact Chen said serv ing iced juice outside her tiny prefabricated caravan one of 30 set at various angles on the Hilly settlement. The trailers were donated by the United states for housing soviet  had to think about what we were doing Here in Israel particularly the religious people because we almost weren t Here she said. We wanted to do some thing to change  gush Munim did was to Force the Issue of Settle ment in the West Bank by squatting in an abandoned rail Road station in Sebastia the ancient capital of Israel situated near Elon Moreh. Hundreds of troops repeatedly evicted them. Mrs. Chen was one of the squatters and one of the soldiers was her brother  of the soldiers refused to obey orders to evict their fellow jews and the army had to Call on officers entraining who could not afford to give up their commis Sions. The government of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin finally permitted the squatters to Settle temporarily