Destruction Among the Trees

The sky was grey and overcast this morning as dozens of Yassam police marched into Bat Ayin. Dressed in their deep black jumpsuits and riot helmets, the Yassamnikim guided a giant tractor through the pristine Bat Ayin forest, down the rolling hill, destroying whatever nature stood in its way, and then destroying two Jewish homes.

The homes were built at the edge of Mitzpe Erez, near the place where Arabs murdered Bat Ayin's Erez Levanon, HY"D in February 2007. From that moment, the area of Mitzpe Erez became a dangerous one - where Arabs would not fear to come near Bat Ayin, to cut down trees, even to bring groups of Arabs for a picnic.
The two young families who bravely built their homes among the trees - in the most ecological manner possible, not harming one tree - were the Zionist and security response to Erez Levanon's murder. They brought security once more to the edge of Bat Ayin and life to the area, which had known death.
The Torah teaches us that Met Mitzva Konah Mekamo (a person's death in a random place buys that place for him) - the ground that soaked in the blood of Erez Levanon rightly belongs to the residents of Bat Ayin, because his death bought it.
However, the Israeli government did not agree, and this morning they destroyed these two homes. Residents of Bat Ayin watched as the tractor did it dirty work. They screamed out in anguish. Many were on their way to prayer when they received the call that the homes were being destroyed. Some ran to the area wearing their tallitot and tefillin.

Bat Ayin's rabbi HaRav Daniel Cohen said that this was a terrible day for Bat Ayin. The homes had brought added peace to the town. Now their boundary is once again compromised.

Voices was in Bat Ayin this morning at 6 AM to record the terrible event. You can view it here at: http://www.voices-magazine.com/index.php?page=inside_page&id=153&which=GTV