Crazy Settlers?

25 of the Eighth Month 5769

Thursday night I got off the bus at Tapu'ah Junction with my big bags of Shabbath shopping. As I was crossing through the make-shift border crossing area, I was debating whether to wait for a tremp (ride) up the hill to Tapu'ah, or to schlep up the hill on foot. Almost to the tremping post, I saw a neighbor of mine (I'll call him "David.") who had also just arrived, and was just getting out of his tremp.

That made up my mind for me. I would wait for a tremp, while I chatted with David, whom I hadn't seen for a while. I met up with him, and we continued on to the tremping area together.

As we were walking the short distance to the bus shelter, David pointed out the three Arab men standing nearby, waiting for their own ride,...to Yasuf or Salfit. They were standing more in the street than at the bus shelter, so I didn't think anything of it.

David said that we needed to do "something" about this. I'm thinking to myself, "Do what? The most important thing to do is to go about our own business, sending the message that we're not afraid of them. After all, they're already afraid of US. We're 'crazy settlers' from Tapuah. Warranted or or not, Tapu'ah has a reputation. They're not going to mess with us."

Out loud I only said the "Do what?" part.

"Well, something needs to be done about this," David said, beginning to show signs of frustration.

At this point we had almost arrived. Ignoring the Arabs, I sped up to the bus shelter, and plopped all of my bags down on the bench, and declared, "There. I have now conquered this bus shelter, and am occupying it."

David laughed. He has a good sense of humor. I knew that he would appreciate that. Still, he looked back and forth between me and the Arabs, and repeated his insistence that "something" must be done [about the Arab incursion into our sovereignty over the bus shelter]. The whole time, I'm sure he asking himself, "If I start 'something,' will Ya'aqov back me up?"

I looked at him, with a face that clearly said, "אין לי כוח" (I do NOT have the energy for this). It was a long day; it was a long week.

David is one of those Jews who chooses his shots,...wisely. I doubt he would have done anything more than point out the more convenient tremping location for Arabs up the road. (*grin*)

Fortunately, it never came to that. An Arab taxi pulled up, and the three Yishma'elim got in. Just when it started off, I ran toward it yelling [in English], "Yeah, go ahead! Run away, scaredy cats!...just when I was about to...."

I walked back toward David, wiping the palms of my hands off, in classic Daffy Duck fashion, saying, "There. All taken care of...."

David laughed and rolled his eyes.

Yep. We're crazy settlers alright. Crazy, with a capital "T."

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P. S. This post is not an attempt to try get you like us "crazy settlers" by portraying our"human side." I couldn't care less if you like us. It's better you should think that we're nuts. Maybe then, you'll leave us alone (based on an opinion of Rav Binyamin Kahane HY"D).

I'm just giving you a peek into the day to day life of settler, which sometimes includes silly "only in Judea and Samaria" incidents.

P. P. S. This post contains no intention of diminishing the threat of the Yishma'elim, their lack of any right to be here, and the need for them to go, nor is it intended to diminish the seriousness of what is currently taking place in Hevron, Yitzhar, Adei Ad, and other places where heroic Jews reside.