9  Shvat, 5770 •   January 24, 2010     61 Years Commemorating the Birth of the State of Israel and the Fall of Gush Etzion 1948 - 2010       In This Issue    Prime Minister Netanyahu Plants tree in Gush Etzion  Stay Connected Click here to join our e-mail list or Forward this email to a friend      Breaking News!  At a tree-planting ceremony in Kibbutz Kfar Etzion ahead of the Tu B'Shvat holiday, Netanyahu said, "This is the first stop. From here we will go on to plant trees in other places.     Netanyahu planting tree with Kfar Etzion children   "This is an inseparable part of the State of Israel. The vast majority of Israel's citizens accept this, and it is gradually being instilled in the international psyche," said the prime minister. He then planted a cedar tree seed along with the kibbutz's children, and promised them that "your children and grandchildren will grow in this tree's shadow, and "Am Yisrael Chai (The People of Israel Live)".            Gershon Elionson Gush Etzion Council Head Shaul Goldstein accompanied Netanyahu on his tour. "These are difficult times for the Zionist settlement enterprise in the Land of Israel," he said, "We all await the day when we will be able to resume the settling of the Land of Israel with full force. Addressing Netanyahu, Goldstein said, "I hope we will be able to plant trees again next year, as you have promised – a new home in Israel; a new classroom and a new kindergarten." Keren Gush Etzion, Israel Tel: 972-2-993-9917 Fax: 972-9934612/9932169 The Gush Etzion Foundation, USA Tel: 1-800-705-1626 Fax: 860- 9061798 www.gush-etzion.org.il gushezif@zahav.net.il