Some 4 years after the northern Shomron community of Chomesh was destroyed by the Government of Israel as part of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s Disengagement Plan, residents mourn the loss of sifrei torah and sifrei kodesh destroyed in a vicious anti-Semitic attack by area Arabs, perpetrated while the residents left the community for a number of days.

Despite the expulsion, the Chomesh First organization which was established has seen to it that a steady presence has been maintained in the community in the hope of rebuilding in the future, undeterred by the opposition of the government, remaining steadfast in its determination to return to the community that was once their home.

The activists wanted to bury the remains of the sifrei kodesh but learned security forces were planning to move in to prevent the ceremony. The decision was made to delay the event, prompting activists to send SMS text messages to announce the delay, wishing to prevent another “chilul Hashem” by having the burial interrupted by security forces.

Eventually, the remains were buried in a beis hachayim in a modest ceremony attended by some 80 people. Chomesh residents and others are outraged and pained that even when enemies burn sifrei torah, Defense Minister Ehud Barak remains silent, questioning if this would be his reaction of someone perpetrated a similar act against a mosque.

MKs Danny Danon and Dr. Michael Ben-Ari are demanding the defense minister and the government take appropriate measures in response to the horrific attack and chilul Hashem.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)