Synagogue Encouraging West Bank Settlement of Jews Draws Protesters; Gets National News Coverage

The New York Times Monday, February 26, 2007 "Seeking New Israeli Settlers, Synagogue Draws Protesters" By: Trymaine Lee

A real estate fair in Teaneck, New Jersey, sponsored, in part, by Bnai Yeshurun synagogue, that encouraged Americans to buy homes in the West Bank prompted protests, while Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, of the Bnai Yeshurun synagogue, called it a success. The fair aimed to get American Jews to buy and possibly occupy moderately priced homes in the West Bank's Jewish settlements. Homes that were bought, but whose buyers did not want to live in them would be returned to Jewish settlers of the area. Pruzansky considers the act "fulfilling a biblical commandment"--the commandment for Jews to settle in the land of Israel.
Still though, part of the 2003 "road map" to peace (drawn up by the US, UN, EU and Russia) to which Israel agreed stated that Israel would halt all settlement growth in the West Bank, and that in return, Palestinians would disarm militant groups there. Not un-historically, however, the plan stalled shortly after its introduction. The US sees Jewish settlements in the West Bank as obstacles to peace, as they are on land the Palestinians hope to one day call their state.
Pruzansky puts it in less optimistic, yet possibly more realistic terms, saying, "Peace is an illusion already... By having Jews live there, we are strengthening the land, adding a safeguard."
Israeli government, probably to Pruzansky's dismay, however, has all but cut off funding for new homes in Jewish settlements in the West Bank (one of the reasons for "real estate fairs" such as the one in New Jersey have come into being-- to reallocate money from the pockets of wealthy American Jews into the settlements of the West Bank).
The real estate fair was criticized by both Amnesty International and pro-Palestinian groups. Protesters chanting "racists, racists, racists" assembled across the street from the synagogue during the fair. Protesters said that "what, in essence, we are protesting--that you have a group taking land away from Palestinians, Muslims and Christians and givin it to Jewish people from all over the world." According to Pruzansky, however, these protesters didn't sour the fair, they just gave it "some free publicity".
The Amana Settlement Movement, the Israeli housing group at the fair, said the homes would be built on land owned by the Israeli government and that is designated for settlement. It is not land that is currently being inhabited, and it would not displace anyone.


While I'm not sure that I am in favor of the existence of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, I definitely do not take the side of the protesters of the real estate fair either. The issue has nothing to do with racism of any kind. It has to do with the Jewish religious belief that the Jews are entitled to and meant to inhabit all parts of the land of Israel. That's why the fair was held at a synagogue and not a consulate. While there is a looming possibility of the West Bank becoming part of a Palestinian state, the area is currently one under Israeli control, and one in desperate need of modernization and development--something the Amana Settlement Movement would bring to the area. Additionally, in the "road map for peace" plan, the Palestinians did not stick to their end of the deal either, with the West Bank being the primary area for secret operations of Palestinian militant groups, and they are definitely not disarmed, so they are just as guilty as Israel in not maintaining the peace plan. The homes being sold in the West Bank are not being sold at rock bottom prices, as the protesters, one of whose signs (in the article's photograph) reads "Support Ethnic Cleansing-- Buy Stolen Palestinian Land CHEAP" would have you believe. The mean price for one of the Amana homes is in the $117,000 range-- near the same price a modest suburban home in the American Midwest would cost. On the contrary, the land is not stolen, and has nothing to do with ethnic cleansing. The land is under the authority of the Israeli government, and no one would be displaced from it to build these homes or to put Jewish settlers into them. Additionally, many Jews who want to move to Israel can not afford to live in areas such as Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, due to the almost astronomical cost of living there, and would not be able to realize their dream of making aliah (immigrating) to Israel otherwise. The West Bank is not the most appealing of real estate, it is, as of now, still the right of a Jew or Israeli citizen to live there, even if the Knesset isn't in full support.