The Arugot Farm announced that a planned prayer protest for this Tuesday morning has been called off for now. The IDF had originally told the farmers, Ari Abramowitz and Jeremy Gimpel, they would be destroying the vineyard planted in memory of Ezra Schwartz at the Arugot Farm, but due to public and private pressure, the army has temporarily delayed the demolition.
Next week, the IDF’s Civil Administration will be meeting with Abramowitz, Gimpel and Gush Etzion mayor Shlomo Neeman to discuss the various option on the table. Those options could include finalizing the legalization of the uncontested plot of land, waiting until after the Shemittah (Sabbatical) year to allow the farmers to ability to replant the vineyard elsewhere, or even that the IDF will still be destroying it.
The Arugot Farm released the following message:
Update from Arugot Farm: Protest tomorrow is postponed
They have delayed the uprooting of the Arugot Farm vineyards! The demonstration is called off. For now.
Delayed. Not canceled.
The outpouring of support has been overwhelming.
Grassroots pressure works! I don’t think they were expecting such a barrage of media, activism, and solidarity.
The battle is not yet over! They can decide on a whim to surprise us and implement these dark and immoral plans.
This is not a struggle over our vineyards.
This is a struggle over the right of the nation of Israel to live in the Land of Israel!
This is a struggle over the right of Jews to live in Judea.
This is a struggle of the rights of an ancient nation to live in our indigenous homeland.
What starts with Judea ends with Jerusalem.
Please, my friends, be on call. The time may come soon where they come back to uproot and destroy and we need you by our side.
B’Ahavat Yisrael,
Ari Abramowitz & Jeremy Gimpel
Gimpel and Abramowitz told JewishPress.com they want to thank everyone who have been helping both publicly as well as from behind the scenes, and everyone who has shown their support.
