I love the way the Washington Post has "SETTLER" in the headline, immediately demonizing the writer even before he gets a chance to speak.
This is a very nicely written personal essay.
"What motivates my wife and me to choose this place to raise our
children (some the same age as the murdered boys from Gush Etzion) in
spite of it all? Why do we disregard direct threats of terror and
overcome all the challenges of living in small isolated towns, far from
Israel’s main cities of Tel Aviv, Haifa and Jerusalem?"
"To us,
that’s no different from the question all Israelis face: Why live here
instead of in Los Angeles or in Australia?"
"Zionism is the national hope
of the Jewish people. It promises a return to the national homeland from
which our ancestors were expelled 2,000 years ago. At the core of
Zionism is the historical connection of the Jewish people to this land.
And not only do we see Judea and Samaria as part of Israel, but they are
the heart of that national homeland. In the time of the Bible,
our fathers dwelt on these hills. The cities of Shechem (also known as
Nablus), Shilo, Beit El, Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Hebron are all
situated along Route 60, the Road of the Patriarchs, which in biblical
times was the main route taken by pilgrims to our capital, Jerusalem."
"In
short, living here is a major part of our patriotism. By building our
homes and raising our children here, we are reviving the historical
connection of our people with our land. That is what Zionism is all
about."
