Written by
5TJT Staff
Thursday, 17 February 2011 13:15
http://www.5tjt.com/featured-news/9639-they-stole-his-lifetwice
Violent storms, like those that pounded Israel on the night of December 12, present real issues for security personnel, especially those defending the Jewish communities throughout Judea and Samaria. Storms present a perfect cover for Arab theft and attacks on civilians.
Upon learning of one such incident, Marc Prowisor, director of security projects for the One Israel Fund, set out to assess the damage. This particular incident felt different than a standard theft.
The Har Sinai Farm is located in the town of Sussiya Southern Hebron Hills, approximately 20 minutes south of Hebron. On the night of December 12, all 170 sheep were stolen during the storms, 130 of them pregnant. Though hundreds of sheep were stolen that night throughout the region, the targeting of Dalia Har Sinai and her particular farm was nothing short of a terrorist attack.
The year was 1984, and Yair and Dalia Har Sinai moved to the town of Sussiya with their four children. Though today Sussiya boasts over 120 families, back then the Har Sinais were one of just ten families in the community. It was truly a pioneering spirit which drew Yair, Dalia, and their four children to these hills.
Yair had come from a kibbutz near Netanya and served in an elite unit in the IDF. After becoming religious, he wanted to work as a farmer and be close to the land of his forefathers.
Yair decided to become a shepherd, akin to our Avot. The local Arab shepherds grew to respect Yair and engaged him in their trade. Yair learned how to build a flock and by the end of that first year had purchased his first ten sheep from local Arabs. Always maintaining friendly and respectful relations with his Arab counterparts, Yair embarked on a mission and a career. Though small in the beginning, Yair’s flock grew to 80 head of sheep in a short time. It was then that he applied and received licenses for 800 dunams of land (approximately 200 acres). As Yair’s business and family (they had nine children) flourished, so did Sussiya. Yair eschewed violence and, as a matter of principle, refused to graze his herd while armed.
On July 2, 2001, Yair Har Sinai left his home to tend to his flock. He took them out to graze in the fields, and he never returned home. His body was found the next day; he had been shot in the head and chest by Arab terrorists who ambushed him. The sheep found their own way home in the evening.
Despite the hardships, and with G-d’s help, Dalia was determined to keep the family business open and till today the farm produced cheese, milk, wool, and meat. Dalia maintains the farm with the help of many volunteer youth and members of her family. The flock flourished over the years and, prior to December 12, numbered 170 head. She continued to apply for and obtain licenses for additional grazing lands, which today total 10,000 dunams (approximately 2,500 acres). Her main reason for working round the clock to keep the farm going is hityashvut—to maintain a presence in the South Hebron Hills that fills a very important purpose.
On the stormy night of December 12, Arab marauders entered the Har Sinai family’s property and stole the entire flock of sheep—taking with it the family’s livelihood and legacy.
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