The formation of a group of American Jews planning to create the first American Jewish settlement in the West Bank and plans to create “at least” 12 new Jewish communities in the West Bank were announced at a press conference sponsored by Emunim, a group formed in the U.S. to support Jewish settlements through out the West Bank area.
A spokesman for the American group called Lev Tzion (heart of Zion), said it had been started six months ago and now includes 25 adult members prepared to settle in administered areas. Lev Tzion was described here Friday as sponsored by the Religious Zionists of America and co-sponsored by Emunim-USA, the support group in this country for Israel’s Gush Emunim settlement movement.
Lev Tzion intends to begin a settlement at Shiloah. Its members were described as religiously inclined and intending to incorporate traditional tenets into an economic plan based on American style technology and farming. The spokesman said several members hold doctorates and all have completed college. The group includes two three-months old infants.
Plans for the new Jewish settlements were described by Amnon and Daniella Weiss who said announcement of the plan had been geared to coincide with the current visit of Secretary of State Cyrus Vance to the Middle East. The Weiss’s live at Kadum, one of three Gush Emunim settlements legalized two weeks ago by Premier Menachem Begin’s Cabinet.
PROPOSED SETTLEMENTS LISTED
Mrs. Weiss listed the proposed settlements, to be established this summer as at Dotan, in the Sanur-Arava region; Samaria, located around that city; Tirzah, near the Nablus-Damia bridge high way; Karnei Shomron, above the Kakilyah-Nablus road; Timnath Heres, on the Terashen hills; Shiloh; Nebi Zalah; Bet EI; Bet Horon; Givon, at an abandoned Jordanian army camp in the Givon foothills; Jericho; and Zif, south of Hebron.
Members of the American settlement group were listed as including both single and married participants from New York City, Detroit, Chicago and San Francisco. The spokesman said intensive recruitment was taking place in these and other cities, as well as preliminary efforts to attract candidates in Britain, South Africa and other English-speaking countries.
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