Homesh First
Encyclopedia
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
organization attempting to rebuild and resettle the Jewish community of Homesh
Homesh
Homesh was an Israeli settlement in the northern Samarian Hills of the West Bank along Tulkarm and Route 60. The village fell under the administrative jurisdiction of the Shomron Regional Council...
.
History
Homesh First was formed after the homes of the Jewish residents of Homesh were razed and Jewish community was evicted as part of IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
's disengagement
Israel's unilateral disengagement plan
Israel's unilateral disengagement plan , also known as the "Disengagement plan", "Gaza expulsion plan", and "Hitnatkut", was a proposal by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, adopted by the government on June 6, 2004 and enacted in August 2005, to evict all Israelis from the Gaza Strip and from...
in August 2005. The Christian Science Monitor quoted Yossi Dagan
Yossi Dagan
Yossi Dagan is an Israeli grassroots community organizer. -Homesh First:Yossi Dagan is the leader of Homesh First. Homesh First is a grassroots organization dedicated to resettling and rebuilding Homesh....
, the future leader of Homesh First, warning that by these actions, "You'll be creating a terror state that would threaten most of the country with Qassam
Qassam rocket
The Qassam rocket is a simple steel artillery rocket developed and deployed by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military arm of Hamas. Three models have been produced and used between 2001 and 2011....
[missiles]."
Civil disobedience campaigns
Homesh First organized the 2007 Yom Ha'atzmautYom Ha'atzmaut
Yom Ha'atzmaut commemorates Israel's declaration of Independence in 1948. It is celebrated on 5 Iyar according to the Hebrew calendar. Yom Ha'atzmaut is preceded by Yom Hazikaron, the Israeli Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism Remembrance Day.-History:...
march to Homesh. This march attracted several thousand people. For the 2007 observance of Sukkot
Sukkot
Sukkot is a Biblical holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei . It is one of the three biblically mandated festivals Shalosh regalim on which Hebrews were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem.The holiday lasts seven days...
, Homesh First has announced that it was organizing, “a mass pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
to the site of the former West Bank settlement of Homesh.” The Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli police have evacuated Homesh First activists from Homesh on many occasions. Homesh Firsters flee into nearby hills and caves to wait for the security forces to leave and at other times they obediently leave and only to return later.
Homesh Knesset caucus
In August 2007, a 10 member Homesh KnessetKnesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
caucus met for the first time. This group is headed by MK Aryeh Eldad. The caucus’s mandate is to work to promote the reestablishment of Homesh - as a first step towards the return to all the places from which Jews were expelled during the Disengagement Plan of 2005. The group will work to build the legitimacy of the Homesh First group and support the resettlement of northwestern Shomron. Yossi Dagan, the leader of Homesh First, said that this achievement is a “significant milestone towards the return to Homesh.” In September 2007, the Knesset's Homesh caucus canceled their planned trip to Homesh due to the army having banned reporters from joining them. MK Arye Eldad argued with the IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
in an attempt to enter Homesh with reporters. He was accompanied by MK Uri Ariel
Uri Ariel
Uri Yehuda Ariel is an Israeli politician who current serves as a member of the Knesset for the National Union.-Biography:Born in Afula, Ariel served in a combat unit called Palsar 7 in the Israel Defense Forces and retired as a major...
and MK Yuli-Yoel Edelstein
Yuli-Yoel Edelstein
Yuli-Yoel Edelstein is an Israeli politician who currently serves as a member of the Knesset for Likud and as the country's Minister of Information and Diaspora.-Biography:...
. These three MKs are from the 10 member caucus created in August. The three had planned to visit Homesh to visit with dozens of grassroots activists from Homesh First who are camped out at Homesh.