Havat Gilad also known as the Gilad Farm is situated on private land owned by Moshe Zar. It lies between Yitzhar and Kedumim. Below is a video (Hebrew) giving the history of Havat Gilad. Below the video is a summary.
This video clip outlines the situation in Ramat Gilad, a hilltop community near Yitzhar in the Shomron. Moshe Zar opens with an explanation of the land purchase, 30 years ago from an Arab, who agreed on the sale despite the severe beating that he received from his fellow Arabs. No documents were signed, rather both buyer and seller relied on Israeli law, specifically Ordinance 78, which states that land cultivated unopposed and uncontested for 10 years may be legally registered in the Israeli Land Registar by the person cultivating. Moshe states that, “…from the moment that I came to plow this land until this very day, no-one has contested ownership – neither him [the previous owner], nor his sons, nor his brothers nor anyone else.” This statement supports the sticker distributed as part of the campaign against the destruction of Ramat Gilad and shown at the very end of the clip which asserts that, “There is a legal solution”.
In 2001, following Gilad’s murder, his family founded a residential community in his name on the land his father had cultivated since its purchase 20 years previously. The initial conditions of Ramat Gilad were harsh. Gilad’s sister, Michal Shoham, who lived with her family in a caravan full of holes with no electricity or running water, asserts that “We understood that our best response to the tragedy was building.” Gilad’s mother, Ya’el, states that, “This was the greatest consolation for the murder of Gilad. We love Ramat Gilad and we rejoice over everyone who comes to live here [including] our grandchildren who have been born over the years, grown up and come to live here,” and concludes with a request not to destroy Ramat Gilad: “When a hand is lifted against Ramat Gilad, we feel as if Gilad is being murdered again.”
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Resident show with plastic bullets
On Feb. 28, ’11, police arrived at 4:30 AM to demolish three structures. The operation turned extremely violent. Israel National News TV visited the residents following the incident and heard their testimony about what had happened. It is shocking but the video is no longer available on their site.
Havat Gilad has 28 families and 30 single males learning in “Yeshiva Baruch Hassidut –Shiru Lemelech “ (Sing to the King) There is a multi-aged (3-5 year olds) kindergarten for the 30 young children to attend.
The population is from varied backgrounds from different places all over the country and they are a multi-talented group. Many of the families run their own businesses.
The government has refused to allow Israel’s national electric company or water company to connect them. In order to have electricity a privately run generator is used. Water is shipped in by the truck load. These expenses get very costly for the community.