The settlers of Zaryit, in Upper Galilee, deserted their village en masse today to dramatize their protest to the Jewish Agency against harsh economic conditions. The villagers said they would stay away for a week leaving only security guards in what today resembled a ghost town. Zaryit, which lies close to the Lebanese border, was the scene of a tragedy last month when a couple, Albert and Florence Malka, were killed in a terrorist ambush.
But the villagers said they were not frightened by the security situation and accepted their position as a border settlement subject to danger. However, they said, they were unable to contend with economic conditions. They claimed the land given them by the Jewish Agency was not fit for the cultivation of fruit trees and that they were forced to seek employment away from the village.
Several families left the village last night and the rest departed today, some for Nahariya and some to stay with relatives in other settlements. The settlers said they would return next week but would take more serious measures unless their demand for better land is met.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
