Uncultivated/Cultivated

I was at Esh Kodesh today and snapped the following photographs:

That view is looking north towards Qusra whose homes you can make out on the horizon, etc.

But what caught my interest is in this one:

The same land opportunities the Arabs had, the Jews improved on.  See the marked areas that remain uncultivated for hundreds of years or for however long they claim they were there, and right next to them, the cultivated fields that the residents of Esh Kodesh now have producing wines and eating grapes from the planted vineyards.

If that sounds to you a bit old-fashioned Zionism, of "making the desert bloom", you are right for that is the truth and the reality.  The pioneering endeavor continues even to today.

Unfortunately, security issues also have stayed with us since the early 20th century and Arab marauding, brigandage and wanton destruction continues and so the building I have marked is an army tower, set up to prevent residents and international sympathizers from coming over the hill and acting with impunity:

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Esh Kodesh Today

One version:

Israeli forces blocked villagers in Nablus from harvesting olives on lands near Israeli settlements on Friday, locals told Ma'an. Israeli troops told harvesters in Qaryut and Azmut villages that security coordination had expired and blocked them from picking olives, a Ma'an correspondent said.

Ah, but that was a few days ago.  But all these stories sound the same.

But at Twitter today:

leehee_r Leehee Rothschild

Settlers from Esh Kudesh shooting live ammo at harvesters in Jaloud, also beating them with clubs. Soldiers are watching. Injuries reported

3 people, wounded in Jaloud are being evicted to the hospital in Nablus.

Ynet (in Hebrew)
 

Summary:

Palestinian sources in Samaria village Jalud claimed that masked settlers, who came from Esh Kodesh, a nearby outpost, attacked farmers and left-wing activists, who were picking olives. The IDF confirmed that there was a confrontation between the parties.

Some more:

There are injured in a confrontation between settlers and Palestinians in Binyamin. Versions about another violent incident between the outpost Esh Kodesh and Jalud farmers and European leftists, who were harvesting olives. Residents of Esh Kodesh: "They are provocateurs". Palestinians: Settlers beat and broke cameras.

Ten people were injured today (Friday). Three settlers were lightly wounded by the stones and smacks, as opposed to between four and six injured Palestinians, including 12 year old boy, and some were evacuated to a hospital in Nablus.

A few minutes after the start of the conflict an IDF force fired tear gas to separate the two sides. A fire was also set in the olive grove, but it is unclear if ignited by a party or as a result of IDF gunfire.

There are several versions between the parties about who started the violence. Palestinians from the village Jalud claim that were harvesting land belonging to them and close the outpost Esh Kodesh when a group of masked settlers came from the outpost armed with sticks. According to the Palestinians, the settlers began to beat the villagers and left-wing activists who helped them. In addition, they argued that settlers broke and stole cameras at their disposal.

On the other hand, a resident of Esh Kodesh who was witness to the events told Ynet: "Normally, only Arabs attack us but this time there were 50 Palestinians and an equal number of left-wing activists and European anarchists. My little girl yelled at me from the kitchen that there was a large group of people who could not be identified by the community. They were right next to the houses. When we got to see what was happening, we were struck by a barrage of stones and after that, were beaten."

"It is important to emphasize that they came under the pretext of picking, but it was not coordinated with the army or any other body," added the man. "The trees in question were sick and nobody has touched them for ten years, so their whole purpose was to provoke rather than for agricultural purposes."

UPDATE

This short video clip purports to show a scene from the area but there is no description who is who and what is what.

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Esh Kodesh Celebrating a Decade

Today, this afternoon at Esh-Kodesh, just behind Shiloh:

The happening starts at 3 PM.

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Water, Water, Everywhere...

On Wednesday morning, the Israelis did take one small step, but that effort fell short. The Israelis sent a small force to an illegal hilltop settlement outpost in the northern West Bank. The site, Esh Kodesh, falls into the category of outposts that Israel has pledged to dismantle.

The forces disconnected a pipe bringing water from the settlement’s tower, then left. An hour later, the settlers had reconnected the pipe, witnesses said.