While the IDF is fighting a war against Hamas in the south and holding off Hezbollah in the north, Jewish communities in other regions of Israel are coping with a wave of attacks from within Sde Calev (the field of Caleb), an agricultural area in the hills of Hebron. 

Sde Calev was established 40 years ago when Menachem Livni planted a sweet cherry orchard and a vineyard of fine wine grapes on a plot of land bought in 1936 by the Jews of Hebron. In 1993, Livni pioneered the planting of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in the Hebron Hill area and established the Sde Calev vineyards. He continued farming despite threats by the local Arabs. 

“I am following the mandate of  Calev the son of Yephuneh,” Menachem said, referring to the Biblical spy who went directly to Hebron upon entering the land. 

Menachem is speaking about the Biblical story of the spies. While the other spies, who were princes of their respective tribes, all used twisted logic to recommend not entering the promised land, Calev refuted them by saying simply, “Let us by all means go up, and we shall gain possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it” (Numbers 13:20). The evil spies countered by saying, “We cannot attack that people, for it is stronger than we.”

By planting vineyards in the hills of Hebron, Sde Calev is reviving the Biblical heritage of the region. There is much archaeological evidence of ancient vineyards in the Mount Hebron region, providing evidence of the centrality of this area in the Holy Land’s wine industry. At the dig that took place at Tel Hebron, pottery shards from wine amphorae have been unearthed, stamped with the royal seal of the Kingdom of Judah (700 BCE), on which “For the King of Hebron” can be seen. In biblical Susya and the Yatir Forest, 2,000-year-old wineries are a tangible reminder of the widespread wine industry that existed here.

During the agricultural season, groups of students come from all over the country to Sde Calev to dig their hands in the earth of their forefathers. Security directives require advance coordination with the military requiring visitors to travel to the site in bullet-proof buses.

The army considers the farm to have strategic importance for the entire Hebron sector, standing between the Arab village of Bani Na’im, a city with a long history of anti-Jewish aggression, and the Jewish city of Kiryat Arba. Until recently, this importance merited constant military presence but since the war began, the military has been hard-pressed to protect communities in the center of Israel. 

The violent nature of Bani Na’im was emphasized on Monday when two residents from the Arab town carried out a ramming/stabbing attack in Ra’anana, killing one person and wounding 13 more, including at least four children and teens.

Over the years, the farm has suffered from terrorist attacks and serial vandalism, damaging the trees and irrigation systems. Arson attacks have targeted agricultural buildings and even damaged the cameras and security systems.

Since the war began, the attacks have increased in number and intensity. Many of the attacks are focused on controlling the access road to Hebron, In the area of Sde Calev, the terrorists are trying to force Menachem to abandon the farm he established so long ago.

The farm produced a video showing the aftereffects of the recent attacks.

“In the video, you can see the front gate being burnt,” Menachem told Israel365 News. “That was nothing less than a recent attempt by the Arabs to conquer the farm by terror and declare it their own. The  IDF carried out an intense battle in the beginning of the war in which two Arabs were killed and several more were wounded.”

“The army is spread out all over the country and much of the burden of security falls on the civilians,” Menachem said. “We rely heavily on security systems.”

The only way for  Menachem to stay and farm the cherries and vineyard is to upgrade the security systems. This is made doubly difficult as many of the security systems have been destroyed by the terrorists. They must be fixed and upgraded immediately.

The farm’s website states the situation:

“Over the years, the farm has become a symbol of our hold on the Land of Israel and the Hebron mountains, Jewish work, and love of the homeland. There is a Zionist, value and security importance to our continued hold on the place and the cultivation of the vineyards and orchards.”

We need your help to:

*Renew the existing security system.

* To allow the continuation of agricultural activity in the place.

* And strengthen the Jewish presence and land hold in the Kiryat Arba – Hebron area.

Sde Calev needs you to be partners in strengthening settlement and security. You can find out more on their website.