Transcript [00:00] Let's be honest, Israel isn't exactly [00:02] popular in the world right now. Everyone [00:05] can agree on that, supporters and [00:07] critics alike. But inside Israel, there [00:10] is one group that might just be the most [00:13] demonized on Earth, at least if you look [00:15] at the headlines. You hear about them [00:18] constantly, the Israeli settlers. You [00:21] hear about them non-stop, but always [00:23] from the exact same angle. Today I'm [00:26] traveling to the settlements, [00:28] specifically to the very first one. I [00:31] want to tell a side of their story you [00:33] rarely hear and listen to the people who [00:36] actually live here. But before we talk [00:38] about them, let me say a word about [00:41] myself. For 3 years, I've been making [00:44] videos about the situation in Israel, [00:46] and I rarely ever mention the [00:48] settlements. Why do I have something to [00:51] hide? Am I uncomfortable talking about [00:54] them? The answer is no. I actually have [00:57] a lot to say legally, geopolitically, [01:00] and about the way the media covers them. [01:02] I don't talk about them for two reasons. [01:05] The first one, brace yourself, is that [01:07] they are not the root of the conflict. I [01:10] know that sounds crazy to most people, [01:12] but I can prove it. And the second [01:14] reason, I will tell you at the very end [01:17] of this video. And honestly, I hope you [01:19] are skeptical. I even hope you are [01:22] critical of Israel because this video is [01:25] made first and foremost for you, for [01:28] anyone who is critical but open-minded [01:30] enough to challenge what they think they [01:33] know. If you told me that everything was [01:35] peaceful until settlements were built [01:37] and that wars only started because of [01:40] them, I would say fair enough. The [01:42] settlements must be the problem. Except [01:45] that's just not what happened. The Arab [01:47] world wanted to wipe Israel off the map [01:50] long before any settlements existed and [01:53] they continued trying even when [01:55] settlements were completely dismantled. [01:57] Take the clearest example, Gaza. Jews [02:00] lived in Gaza for hundreds of years [02:02] until 1929 when Arab riots forced the [02:06] entire Jewish community out. They never [02:09] came back. And keep in mind, Jews lived [02:11] in Gaza long before the Arab Muslim [02:14] conquest. Now, you might say 1929, that [02:18] was a long time ago. Fast forward to [02:20] 2005. Israel dismantled every single [02:24] Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip. [02:26] Israel evacuated every single Jew [02:29] leaving Gaza with zero Jewish presence. [02:32] And what did we get in return? October [02:35] 7th. Here is another detail most people [02:38] don't know. The PLO, the Palestine [02:40] Liberation Organization, was founded in [02:43] 1964. That's three whole years before [02:47] the 1967 war, before Israel had control [02:50] of Judea and Samaria, known as the West [02:52] Bank or Gaza. And in their original 1964 [02:56] charter, article 24 explicitly states [03:00] that they claim no sovereignty over the [03:03] West Bank, which was then occupied by [03:05] Jordan, or over Gaza, which was then [03:08] controlled by Egypt. Their goal was [03:11] strictly the destruction of the pre967 [03:14] Israel. So long before the settlements [03:17] and even before the state of Israel was [03:19] founded, Arab leadership openly stated [03:22] and acted on the goal of destroying a [03:25] Jewish state. That is the first [03:27] fundamental truth you have to [03:29] understand. The drive to destroy Israel [03:31] existed long before any settlement was [03:34] built and it continues long after they [03:37] are removed. But what about the legal [03:40] aspect? Doesn't Israel violate [03:42] international law by building [03:43] settlements? I will get to the legal [03:45] side shortly, but first I want to share [03:48] the story of where I'm standing right [03:50] now. Guetion. This area is located south [03:54] of Jerusalem, right along the route [03:56] between Hebron and Jerusalem. That's [03:59] critical because this road is the most [04:01] important historical route inside the [04:04] land of Israel. If you want to [04:05] understand the local internal story of [04:08] the land of Israel, you need to [04:09] understand the ridge route, also known [04:11] as the way of the patriarch or the [04:14] biblical highway. And this is exactly [04:16] where I'm right now. This is the ancient [04:19] route linking Beerva, Hebron, Bethlehem, [04:23] Jerusalem, Ramala, Shrem, Nablus, and [04:25] Megiddo, Armageddon. Countless biblical [04:28] events unfolded along this very path. [04:32] Later on, the Roman paved a formal road [04:35] here. This stone right behind me is an [04:38] authentic Roman milestone marking the [04:41] distance to Jerusalem. Right over here, [04:43] you can see an ancient ritual path, a [04:47] mikvet. Thousands of years ago, Jewish [04:50] pilgrims heading up to Jerusalem [04:52] immersed themselves here, not for [04:54] hygiene, but for ritual purification. [04:58] And if that sounds familiar to Christian [05:00] viewers, there is a reason. Christian [05:03] baptism grew out of the Jewish world [05:05] where ritual immersion was already a big [05:09] part of life. Jews lived in both [05:11] Jerusalem and Hebron for thousands of [05:13] years. So it was only natural that the [05:16] first modern Jewish community in the [05:18] region would be established on this [05:21] historic ridge. That community was [05:24] called Mikdal Eder, founded in 1927. [05:28] Who were those pioneers? Orthodox Jews [05:31] from Jerusalem alongside Yemenite Jewish [05:34] families from Tel Aviv. In 1929, the [05:38] Arab riots erupted. Arab mobs massacred [05:42] members of the ancient Jewish community [05:44] in Hebron, forced the Jews out of Gaza, [05:47] and launched violent attacks in [05:49] Jerusalem and Safed. There was immediate [05:52] fear that surrounding Arab villages [05:55] would massacre the people here too. [05:57] Local Arab neighbors from a nearby [05:59] village actually helped them escape [06:01] safely to Jerusalem. But rioters from [06:04] neighboring villages looted and leveled [06:06] the village to the ground. In many of my [06:09] videos, I point out that Jews didn't [06:11] steal land from Arabs before the Arab [06:14] side launched wars against them. In [06:17] reality, Jewish lands were repeatedly [06:20] seized by Arab. Mdal Eder is an example [06:23] of that. For me personally, bringing up [06:26] Mdal Edier is both a privilege and a [06:29] mission. It is a largely forgotten and [06:32] unique chapter in history. Orthodox Jews [06:35] from Jerusalem and Yemenite families [06:37] coming together to build a small village [06:39] from scratch, enduring harsh conditions [06:43] only to be driven out as their life work [06:46] was destroyed by local rioters. The [06:49] second attempt at settlement took place [06:51] in the 1930s, but that attempt failed as [06:55] well due to the Arab riots of 1936. The [06:59] third attempt happened in 1943 when [07:02] kibbutzk farion was established here. It [07:05] was a religious kibuts which was really [07:07] interesting because the kibutz movement [07:09] as a concept is typically associated [07:12] with the political left while religious [07:14] communities are traditionally associated [07:17] with the right. But within the kibuts [07:19] movement there was a religious kibut [07:22] stream that started back in the 1930s. [07:25] They argued that you could combine the [07:27] two and that many silist ideas were [07:30] rooted in biblical concepts. Kibutsk [07:33] Farion was established in 1943 and three [07:36] more communities were built nearby [07:39] giving the region its name Gion the [07:43] Etsion block. On November 29, 1947, the [07:47] United Nation voted on a partition plan [07:49] for a Jewish state and an Arab state. [07:52] The proposal wasn't fair to the Jewish [07:55] community, considering that back in [07:57] 1922, the Arabs had already been granted [08:00] 77% of the original British Mander [08:03] territory, which became the Kingdom of [08:06] Jordan. Still, the Jews accepted that [08:09] compromise while the Arabs rejected it [08:12] and launched a war. Two critical points [08:15] on this. First, directly tied to our [08:18] topic. The Arabs started this war before [08:21] any settlements existed. It wasn't that [08:24] the Arabs said, "We didn't get enough. [08:26] We want another 15%." The Arab side [08:30] then, just like today, rejected the very [08:33] existence of a Jewish state. That is the [08:36] real root of the conflict, not the [08:39] settlements. Second, anti-Israel critics [08:42] know the Arabs started the war, but they [08:45] try to blur this reality using slippery [08:49] passive language. Phrases like violence [08:52] erupted or the situation deteriorated [08:54] into war. No. Just like you wouldn't say [08:57] that on September 1st the situation [09:00] between Germany and Poland simply [09:02] developed into violence, Germany invaded [09:05] Poland and started a war. The exact same [09:08] thing happened here. The Arabs started a [09:11] war. First the local Arabs and the [09:14] moment the British left, the armies of [09:17] neighboring Arab states join in. The [09:19] situation quickly worsened because the [09:22] only access road ran through Arab [09:24] villages toward Jerusalem. Convoys [09:27] bringing food and supplies to the [09:28] kibbutim were ambushed by Arab forces [09:32] and many were killed. In January, the [09:35] women and children were evacuated from [09:37] the kibbutim because it had become far [09:40] too dangerous. Keep that detail in mind [09:43] because it is vital to the story of the [09:46] first settlements. I want to tell the [09:48] rest of the story here in Kibutk Farion. [09:52] On May 12th, the battle began. One [09:55] interesting detail is who actually [09:57] attacked the Jewish communities. local [09:59] Arabs from the neighboring villages, of [10:02] course, but also the Jordanian army, the [10:05] Arab Legion. And who led, train, and [10:09] armed the Arab Legion? The British. The [10:12] British commander of the Jordanian [10:14] forces was named John Bagot Globe. [10:17] Interesting, right? The Jordanian army [10:19] was the strongest military force in 1948 [10:23] war of independence simply because the [10:26] command and the weapon were all British. [10:30] And I bet you've never heard about it. [10:32] If it were the other way around, if [10:35] British forces were arming and leading [10:38] Jewish forces who then carried out a [10:40] massacre, you would hear about it [10:42] nonstop. But when the British helped the [10:44] Arabs killing Jews, sh not a word. The [10:49] Jewish defenders basically had no [10:51] chance. For months, Jewish forces held [10:54] their ground against Arab attacks. By [10:57] the way, another fascinating detail is [11:00] the name of the local Arab militia. [11:02] Jesiad al- Mukades, the army of the holy [11:06] war. In their eyes, this was a religious [11:10] war, not a national conflict. And here [11:13] is an interesting fact. The Arab leaders [11:16] never called the Arabs Palestinians, [11:19] only Arabs. And you will never hear pro [11:22] Palestinian talk about the commanders of [11:25] the Arabs. So let's say their names. [11:27] Look them up. Hassan Salam, Abdel, Kader [11:31] Husseini, Fiel Kawaki, and Amin [11:33] Husseini. and see what they said, what [11:37] they fought for, and who they all. And [11:40] please do not believe a word I say. Look [11:43] up those names and prove me wrong. I [11:46] never delete comments. On May 13, just [11:49] one day before the state of Israel was [11:51] declared, the Arab Legion together with [11:53] irregular Arab forces attackion. [11:57] The Jewish defenders ran completely out [11:59] of ammunition and decided to surrender. [12:02] They came out with their hands up [12:04] holding a white flag and the Arab [12:06] fighters massacred them. 127 people were [12:10] slaughtered in that massacre and another [12:12] 100 died in the battles leading up to [12:15] it. Karion was looted and leveled to the [12:18] ground. The other three nearby Jewish [12:20] villages realized they stood no chance [12:24] and with the help of the Red Cross, they [12:26] surrendered to the Jordanian army. There [12:29] were only two places in the entire war [12:32] where Jewish communities surrendered to [12:34] the Jordanian military and survived. [12:36] Gusetion and the Jewish quarter in [12:38] Jerusalem's old city. Surrounding to the [12:41] local Arab militia was a very different [12:43] story and everyone knew it. This [12:46] highlights a clear difference. Within [12:49] Israel, 160,000 Arabs remained and [12:52] became citizens. The number of Jews who [12:55] remained on the Arab controlled side, [12:58] zero. 320 Jewish defenders were taken as [13:02] prisoners of war to Jordan. The 30 women [13:04] among them were released after several [13:07] weeks and the men were freed a year [13:09] later as part of the armistice [13:11] agreement. All four Jewish villages were [13:13] completely destroyed by local Arabs. [13:16] Bush Etsion fell and for the next 19 [13:19] years the area remained under Jordanian [13:21] occupation. The children who had been [13:23] evacuated from Kfarion grew up with [13:27] their mothers almost entirely without [13:29] fathers. Having a surviving father was [13:32] rare. These kids grew up together and [13:35] became known as the orphans group. Back [13:38] in the 1950s and60s, people rarely spoke [13:41] about it. Much like the Holocaust at [13:43] that time, the mindset back then was to [13:46] only look forward. Then came 1967. Egypt [13:50] and Syria allied with the explicit goal [13:53] of destroying Israel. Natser, the [13:55] Egyptian leader, blocked their southern [13:57] shipping lanes to Israel and moved [14:00] massive troops into the Sinaan [14:02] Peninsula, direct violation of the [14:05] armistice agreement while publicly [14:07] declaring their goal was the destruction [14:09] of Israel. Israel launched the six- day [14:12] war on June 5th, 1967. Israel sent [14:15] message to Jordan saying stay out of [14:18] this. But the same day, King Hussein [14:21] decided to attack Jerusalem anyway. And [14:24] within 3 days, Jordan lost control of [14:27] East Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria. A [14:30] few months after the war ended, almost [14:32] 20 years after the communities were [14:34] destroyed, the Jews, including members [14:36] of the very group of orphans, returned [14:39] home. This became the very first Jewish [14:42] community reestablished in the area that [14:45] Jordan had control until 1967. or if you [14:48] prefer the modern media label. This was [14:51] the first settlement. Later on, Jews [14:54] also returned to Hebron, the Dead Sea [14:57] area, and the old city of Jerusalem. All [14:59] places from which Jews were driven out [15:02] by Arab violence in 1929 and in 1948. [15:06] Today in Farion, there is a visitor [15:09] center that tells the story of the [15:11] community's founding and the final [15:13] battle. The museum sits directly above [15:17] the cellar where dozens of wounded [15:20] defenders and women took shelter before [15:23] Arab fighters threw grenades inside and [15:26] killed everyone. It is a deeply moving [15:30] place. [16:00] Right outside there is a modest memorial [16:03] for the women who were killed defending [16:06] the block. many of whom were the sole [16:09] survivors of families wiped out in the [16:12] Nazi camps. So, do I support the [16:15] settlement movement? Absolutely. Yes. I [16:18] firmly oppose violence from extremist [16:21] settlers, but far more than that, I [16:23] oppose the Arab violence that wiped out [16:26] peaceful Jewish communities in the [16:28] 1920s, 30s, and 40s. Yet somehow that [16:32] Jewish historical context is completely [16:35] missing from mainstream reporting. I [16:37] started by saying that settlers are [16:40] probably the most demonized group in the [16:42] news. In a previous video, I mentioned [16:44] Levam, an organization that supports [16:47] local small businesses in Judea, [16:49] Samaria, and the rest of Israel. And [16:52] through a mutual friend, I connected [16:54] with someone behind this initiative who [16:57] lives right here. So, I'm going to meet [16:59] him now and hear about the work they do [17:02] on the ground. [17:15] as Yi. [17:22] >> So, it's very nice to be here under the [17:25] fig tree. I wanted to talk to you about [17:28] Leva, which is an amazing project. But [17:31] since we're already here in Guushet and [17:35] Lua settlements, maybe you can talk a [17:39] little bit about about it about [17:41] yourself. How do you see know you live [17:44] in a settlement? Some people will say it [17:48] is illegal what you do on stolen land. [17:52] First of all, who are you and what would [17:54] you answer? [17:55] >> My name is Aljiman. I live in Dewis. [17:59] We're like 20 minutes from Jerusalem in [18:01] Judea mountains in Gusion. Right above. [18:06] I'm here for the last 15 years. We moved [18:09] here because we looked for a community [18:12] that it's like still very much Israeli, [18:15] very much Zionist, but have more [18:18] connection to Judaism. [18:21] And we look for a place that we have [18:23] like more wider options. Like I keep [18:25] Shabbat, I don't wear kipat. [18:29] And I I eat kosher, but it's it doesn't [18:34] have to be a kosher restaurant. I just [18:35] eat kosher food. [18:38] and [18:39] and uh like but I'm [18:43] I I see more and more people like me [18:45] like we are like we're not religious but [18:47] we are not secular like we're somewhere [18:49] in the middle. I can say that I came [18:51] here from like reasons more like the [18:55] main reason is to look for a more [18:58] accurate place to raise my children. [19:01] But few years after I was here, I really [19:06] fell in love and I really felt that I [19:09] came back home like my soul came back [19:11] home like I'm very very much connected [19:14] and I think this is my answer to your [19:17] questions that like it's it's definitely [19:20] very complicated definitely when like [19:23] there is many many Arabs here we live [19:25] among them [19:28] but it's a It's before everything. This [19:33] is my land. This is my country. Exactly. [19:36] Like I feel about my wife. I have only [19:39] one wife and she's definitely my only [19:42] wife and no one else. Share it. And this [19:46] is the way I feel. And I start my [19:52] I I wanted to say struggle but it's not [19:54] struggle. It's a journey how to to try [19:59] to manage to stay human [20:02] and uh to find a solution like I and I [20:07] know that it's an almost impossible [20:09] solution and really in many way I think [20:11] only God can help us how to manage to do [20:14] it. [20:15] >> I think that the solution is that the [20:18] Arabs will accept the the Jewish [20:21] sovereignty. [20:22] >> This is as I see it. This is the main [20:25] problem. Uh they didn't accept it [20:28] yesterday. They didn't accept it in 47. [20:30] They didn't accept it in 1929. [20:33] And when they will accept the Jewish [20:36] sovereignty, [20:36] >> they will never accept it. [20:38] >> I I agree. [20:39] >> I think there is a and not only the [20:41] Arabs in Juda, Samaria, not only the [20:43] Arabs in Israel, it's a billion Arabs [20:46] that will never accept it. And I really [20:49] think that they will they might accept [20:52] it and it's really should be a miracle [20:56] but we believe in miracles. [20:59] Uh when we will accept it I think [21:02] there's a better chance that they will [21:04] accept it and I really [21:07] try to concentrate in my life at this [21:10] stage first to make [21:13] to make I do two things in parallel. I'm [21:17] part of a company that called Harz. We [21:19] build communities and houses all over [21:22] Juda and Saria. And I really think that [21:25] before I will try to convince the art to [21:29] accept, we need to convince the Israeli [21:31] society like a a main an important part [21:35] of the Israeli society to not only to [21:38] accept to really really understand that [21:41] Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem is is the [21:44] mainland is the heartland and everything [21:48] depend on that. This is the way I see it [21:50] and we really need to finish what we [21:52] started in 48. We need to finish it and [21:54] we need to accept it and what will [21:57] happen after it no one knows. But this [21:59] is one thing and second thing [22:02] >> and this is what I'm trying to do in [22:04] Leam [22:05] is not to wait to spread the light of [22:09] Israel not to wait to spread the moral [22:11] ideas the beauty of this land of the [22:15] Bible of our stories of our like moral [22:20] Torah that we we are like we we raised [22:23] on it. We we we carry it for thousands [22:26] of years like to send it all over the [22:28] world. And this is what we are like [22:29] doing in level mainly mainly in the last [22:33] five six years because level in the [22:35] beginning started as a as a struggle [22:38] against the BDS [22:40] and I think it's important struggle but [22:43] in a way I don't see the BDS as a [22:46] problem. I don't see them as a problem. [22:48] I think they're like they're losing. I [22:50] and I really think it's much more [22:52] important that we as Israelis [22:55] will will spread the good name of of the [22:59] Jewish people of Israelis and also I'm I [23:03] had I had almost 10 years aboard [23:06] and many many times I wasn't proud to be [23:09] Israeli. Many like I'm saying something [23:11] that I met many many things that [23:14] Israelis didn't behave well and for me [23:17] it was really shame. There is a saying [23:19] when I was a kid that's called and I'm [23:21] like I really felt it like we are like [23:25] we we are doing it and I really try to [23:29] to give [23:33] like a part of my life to do [23:37] to to to do something not only right [23:41] more holy more like u [23:46] that will give inspiration to people who [23:49] will I want to be a part of the creative [23:52] people in the world. I I really believe [23:54] in creativity. This is the way I try to [23:56] live my life and it's like I will never [23:59] start a war but I am not intend to lose [24:03] in any war like this is my this is the [24:06] way I see it. The knockout was at the [24:09] 7th of October really changed the life [24:11] of Israelis and my life definitely and I [24:14] always say we have you know when war [24:16] start [24:18] the IDF send money and I really felt I [24:23] got it for 20 years it's it's not I I'm [24:27] not done like we need to keep on [24:29] building we need to keep on like [24:32] spreading the light of alarm and we also [24:36] need to do real real did in the Israeli [24:40] society to to bring us more together [24:44] more close not only in wartime also when [24:46] we pray when we travel when we work and [24:50] alo it's also it's an amazing thing in [24:52] Lebanon we like we we work with all the [24:55] kinds of Israelis from all the society [25:00] >> maybe maybe you can show us a box [25:02] >> yeah of course we wanted to bring it [25:06] >> oh man it's As soon as we walked in, my [25:08] mic dropped and stopped working. At [25:10] least you got to hear from Ayal the most [25:13] important part from him. The idea behind [25:16] the boxes. So I will try to summarize [25:20] what Ayal um showed me. He showed me two [25:24] boxes. The first one is the latest box [25:27] um subscribers received and it is [25:29] dedicated to Rosha Shana, the Jewish new [25:32] year. The boxes are so nice and inside [25:37] there was dates, soap, spices, cookies [25:39] and a chauffear which is really cool. A [25:43] explained interesting things about the [25:45] products but the two main takeaways I [25:48] remember are first there is a magazine [25:51] included that tells the story behind [25:54] both the products and the businesses [25:57] that made them. Second, it includes the [26:00] contact info for all of the makers. They [26:03] don't hide it. So, if you ever want to [26:06] reorder from them or even visit them [26:09] when you travel to Israel, you totally [26:11] can. The second box showed me has a [26:14] really cool idea behind it. Its theme [26:17] around the first chapter of Genesis, the [26:19] creation. It is such a creative concept [26:23] with items representing each day of the [26:26] creation story. I won't spoil the [26:28] surprise for those of you who will get [26:30] it though. After talking to Aayal, I [26:33] continued to a very special cafe. And I [26:36] want to talk about the legal aspect [26:39] because the media is not only obsessed [26:41] with Israel, it is also wrong when it [26:44] says that the settlements are illegal. [26:47] But before that, please subscribe to the [26:50] channel so my son can tell his friends [26:52] his father has half a million [26:55] subscribers. do it for him. Before [26:57] diving into the legal side, let me make [27:00] a broader crucial point. Most people [27:03] don't actually care about international [27:05] law. They just tell themselves, I don't [27:07] really understand it, but if [27:09] international bodies say it, then they [27:11] must be right. To be honest, years ago, [27:13] I viewed things exactly the same way. [27:16] The United Nation look like a neutral [27:18] organization providing humanitarian aid [27:21] and objective information during [27:23] conflicts. Sadly, that is simply not a [27:26] reality. The UN is a political [27:29] organization. Let me give you just two [27:32] striking examples of just how biased it [27:35] is against Israel. Israel has received [27:38] more UN General Assembly condemnations [27:40] than all other countries on Earth [27:42] combined. Even if you are critical of [27:45] Israel, basic common sense should raise [27:48] a red flag here. North Korea, Iran, [27:51] Russia, hundreds of thousands killed in [27:54] Syria and Yemen. Yet, Israel is [27:56] condemned more than the rest of the [27:58] world combined. On top of that, the UN [28:00] Human Rights Council has a permanent [28:03] agenda item, item seven. This rule [28:07] mandates that alleged human rights [28:09] violation by Israel must be debated at [28:13] every single session. Israel is the only [28:17] country in the entire world with a [28:19] dedicated permanent agenda item against [28:22] it. Millions of people forced from their [28:25] homes in Sudan. The human right council [28:27] must talk about Israel. This is insane. [28:32] So no, sadly the UN is not neutral. It [28:36] has a very strong anti-Israel bias. You [28:39] are constantly told that the settlements [28:41] are illegal. But there is a serious [28:43] legal argument. You almost never heard [28:46] in international law. A fundamental [28:49] doctrine is called procedis. [28:52] Chances are you have never heard about [28:54] it. But it is the exact principle that [28:57] determined the borders of most of the [28:59] countries in the world. The rule is [29:01] straightforward. When a new state emerge [29:04] from a former mandate or territory, its [29:07] pre-existing administrative boundaries [29:10] automatically become its legal [29:12] international borders upon independence. [29:15] The whole purpose was to prevent endless [29:17] disputes and chaos. Israel is no [29:20] exception. Israel legal borders were [29:22] drawn from the British mandate, a [29:24] binding international instrument [29:26] approved by the League of Nation to [29:28] establish a Jewish national home. And [29:31] that territory included Judea and [29:33] Samaria. And then there is the simplest [29:36] question of all. Occupied from whom? [29:38] Before 1967, Jordan held the area. But [29:42] Jordan took it in a war in 1948. And [29:45] when it annexed it in 1950, almost [29:48] nobody in the world recognized that. And [29:50] in 1988, Jordan officially gave up any [29:54] claim to the area. It doesn't even want [29:57] it. So, who exactly was the rightful [30:00] owner Israel took it from? Even if you [30:02] don't accept my argument, the honest [30:04] term is disputed territories. When the [30:07] media calls it illegal settlements on [30:09] occupied land automatically, as if there [30:11] were no debate at all, that isn't [30:13] reporting. It is picking aside and [30:17] calling it a fact. Cafe Baha is located [30:19] in the community of it is a truly [30:23] special place. I originally planned to [30:26] say a quick sentence or two based on [30:28] what I've read online, but Sivian, who [30:31] works here, agreed to tell the story [30:34] herself. Okay. So, I'm now in Cafe [30:37] Bakura and I'm with [30:40] >> Sivan Le Jacobson. I am the um media [30:43] director for Sachi at Guvot. [30:46] >> And what what is special about this? [30:49] What is this place? [30:50] >> So, is a unique village? We are [30:54] community living of people with need [30:56] with special needs and people with other [30:58] needs. So some of the people here about [31:01] 60 62 of them are people with special [31:04] needs on de different level of [31:06] functioning. Most of them are not on [31:08] higher fun higher functioning mainly [31:10] medium functioning. They live here. [31:12] They're part of the community. They're [31:14] equal members to of the community. [31:15] >> How many people live here? [31:17] >> And there are 45 families who live here [31:19] together with them. Now these families [31:21] did not come here for any other reason [31:24] but to live a shared community life with [31:28] these people. We are equal members. If [31:31] you'll go to into our synagogue you [31:33] would see we have two gabain two people [31:35] who are in charge of the shul. One of [31:36] them has down syndrome and the other one [31:38] is a person with other needs is a [31:39] regular person how we define them here. [31:43] Now we are sitting in our coffee shop [31:46] which is one of our employment tracks [31:48] here at it's at Nachil Loop. So Nachil [31:51] is our is our nonprofit organization and [31:55] we are running different tracks for [31:57] employment for people with special needs [31:59] over 21 years old. The coffee shop is [32:02] one of them but the coffee shop is only [32:03] the end point for everything. When you [32:06] come here and you get a a sandwich uh [32:09] like orangot, you will get a bread that [32:12] was made here by our bakery this [32:14] morning. Now, as I see, you did not [32:18] choose a sandwich with cheese. But if [32:19] you have chosen a sandwich with cheese, [32:21] you would get our goat cheese from our [32:23] dairy factory. We have 20 goats. And we [32:26] are making our own goat cheese and goat [32:28] yogurts. We are making our own uh [32:31] ceramics and plates. So you got um a lot [32:34] of we have a big ceramic studio. [32:37] >> Can we can we see it? Can [32:39] >> I can we have in our coffee shop a lot [32:42] of our um utensils and um plates and [32:46] cups are made here at our ceramic [32:49] studios which is uh the all the all the [32:52] work is done by people with special [32:54] needs on low functioning levels. It's [32:56] it's an amazing ability to take someone [33:00] who [33:02] you're not expecting them to make such [33:03] an amazing thing and they and they [33:05] improve themselves. They're artists. You [33:07] would never get here [33:10] a double. you would never find a double [33:12] uh plate. And they're very creative and [33:15] we're finding different [33:18] options and different skills to work [33:20] with them to improve their independence [33:22] at work, at their apartments, [33:26] um on the way they're living and the way [33:28] they're in they're combined within the [33:30] community. [33:31] >> And I've seen there are horses here as [33:33] well. So the therapeutic um horse [33:36] horseback riding farm is part of our [33:39] employment tracks. Um we during the [33:42] morning we um we work mainly the the [33:46] theme here which is combined half of [33:48] people with special needs and half with [33:49] people with other needs is um giving [33:52] services to within our community mainly [33:55] for the high school and the elementary [33:57] school. But in the afternoon, it's open [33:59] for people with from the outside that [34:01] come from services, but only for [34:03] therapeutic writings. [34:04] >> You can read a thousand articles about [34:07] Israeli settlements, and not a single [34:09] one will mention a place like Vot, a [34:12] unique community where families live [34:15] side by side with adults with special [34:17] needs, working and building a life [34:20] together. If this existed anywhere else [34:23] or under the Palestinian banner, the [34:26] international media would celebrate it [34:28] as a shining beacon of humanity. But [34:32] because it is Jewish and because it is [34:34] here, it's completely ignored. [34:38] In Gusion, there are many springs and [34:41] I'm now in Enella. Anyway, we've covered [34:44] history and law and now I want to [34:46] address the media coverage because that [34:49] is what shapes how billions of people [34:52] perceive this place. You have probably [34:54] seen hundreds of reports on setters. [34:57] Have you ever seen any of the history or [35:00] reality I just share? Almost certainly [35:03] not. The cameras always seek the most [35:06] extreme individuals. But consider two [35:09] things you rarely think about. First, [35:12] even when the media highlights the [35:14] absolute fringe, look at that [35:16] disproportionate focus, the press, much [35:18] like the UN, operates with an obsession. [35:21] Normally, news relevance follows scale [35:24] and proximity. A local car accident in [35:26] Wisconsin doesn't make front news in [35:29] London, but with Israel, that filter [35:32] disappears. Any incidents, no matter how [35:36] small, becomes a global headlines. Stop [35:39] this video right now and search the [35:41] British media. Look at how many detailed [35:43] investigation The Guardian published [35:46] demonizing Israeli settlers and compare [35:49] that to their coverage of the mass [35:51] grooming gang scandals involving [35:54] vulnerable young British girls and ask [35:56] yourself what should actually matter [35:58] more to the British public. Yet the [36:01] obsession with finding fault here [36:03] overrides everything. Beyond that, [36:06] notice how aggressively Western [36:08] journalists shove cameras straight into [36:11] settlers face. Would a reporter dare to [36:14] do that to a Chinese soldier, a jihadist [36:17] militant in Syria, an armed fighter in [36:19] Yemen, or state police in Qatar? Of [36:22] course not. They would disappear into a [36:25] cell for years. But demonizing Israeli [36:28] settlers carries zero risk. At the start [36:31] of this video, I told you that there are [36:33] two reasons I don't talk about the [36:36] settlements much. The first one, they're [36:38] not the root of the conflict. Now, here [36:40] is the second one. The people who hate [36:43] Israel want me to talk about the [36:45] settlements all the time, every small [36:48] incident, every video. Because as long [36:51] as the world is fixated on every single [36:54] outpost in Judea, no one is covering the [36:57] actual human tragedies of the region. [37:00] The ethnic cleansing of historic [37:02] Christian communities in Iraq and Syria, [37:04] the brutal oppression of women in Iran [37:06] or Qatar, the hundreds of thousands [37:09] killed in wars in Yemen and Sudan, and [37:12] the thousands of Christian murdered by [37:14] Islamist in Nigeria. The hyperfixation [37:17] on settlers isn't about human rights. [37:20] It's a convenient distraction. That's [37:22] the trap. The real tragedy of the Middle [37:25] East is not that Jews live in Judea. It [37:28] is not the settlers. The real tragedy is [37:31] that so many Arabs in the Middle East [37:33] still refuse to accept Jewish [37:35] sovereignty anywhere between the Jordan [37:38] River and the sea. Please share this [37:40] truth with your friends. Today, I threw [37:43] a lot of information at you. Maybe too [37:45] much. But I don't just want you to know [37:48] things. I want you to be able to do [37:49] something with it because understanding [37:52] what's going on is just step one. Doing [37:54] something is what really counts. So if [37:57] you are planning a trip to Israel, [37:59] consider visiting Gusettion. It is an [38:01] amazing day trip off the beaten track [38:04] just 30 minutes south of Jerusalem. And [38:07] if you can't come right now, you can [38:09] still help from home. Check out Leva [38:11] Lam. The link is below. Every month you [38:14] get a package of, you know, you've seen [38:16] it, handmade product sent straight to [38:19] your door. And every package support [38:22] Israeli businesses here and around the [38:25] country. And a huge thank you to [38:27] everyone who support me on YouTube and [38:30] coffee. You are the reason I can make [38:32] these videos. Links are below. See you [38:35] in the next video. Galabby.
