Moshe Zar, Shomron Pioneer and Visionary, Passes Away at 88

Moshe Zar, a towering figure in the Jewish settlement movement in Judea and Samaria, passed away today (Friday) at the age of 88, leaving behind a legacy of unwavering commitment to the Land of Israel. Known as a “hero of Israel” and a pioneer of the Shomron (Samaria) settlement enterprise, Zar’s life was marked by bold actions, deep faith, and a relentless drive to redeem and settle Jewish land. His death has been met with widespread mourning across Israel, with tributes highlighting his contributions to Zionism and his enduring influence on future generations.

A Life of Courage and Conviction

Born in 1938, Moshe Zar was a religious Zionist whose life intertwined military service, land acquisition, and settlement advocacy. A former member of Unit 101 under Ariel Sharon, Zar was wounded in the 1956 Sinai Campaign, losing his left eye, and later survived a 1983 assassination attempt by an Arab landowner who attacked him with an axe and shot him. Despite these setbacks, Zar’s resolve never wavered. After the Yom Kippur War and the rise of the Gush Emunim movement, he became a key figure in purchasing land from Palestinian individuals, acquiring thousands of dunams across 30 Arab villages between 1979 and 1982 through a Jordanian company he established to facilitate land registration.

Zar was instrumental in founding Karnei Shomron, where his home became a symbol of Zionist determination. He also played a pivotal role in establishing Gilad Farm, a community of about 50 families, on land he purchased after the 2001 murder of his son Gilad, a security chief of the Shomron Regional Council killed in a terrorist ambush. Zar vowed to create six settlements in Gilad’s memory, one for each letter of his name, reflecting his lifelong mission to expand Jewish presence in the region.

Family and Legacy

Zar and his wife, Yael, raised eight children, all of whom settled in Judea and Samaria and remained active in the settlement movement. His son Rabbi Yonadav teaches at Har Bracha Yeshiva, his daughter Anat is involved in the Hebron community, and his son Itai resides at Gilad Farm. His son-in-law, Gershon Bar Kochva, is a historian and co-founder of the Hebron seminary. During the Swords of Iron War in October 2023, Zar visited IDF bases to support his descendants serving in combat units, including children, grandchildren, and a great-grandchild, showcasing his family’s deep commitment to Israel.

In a final message recorded from his hospital bed months before his death, Zar emphasized the importance of settling the entire Land of Israel, urging future generations to continue his mission of redeeming and building the land. Minister Orit Strock shared the video, calling him a “man of the Land of Israel” who ascended “from the Land of Israel below to the Land of Israel above.”

Tributes and Impact

The Shomron Regional Council head, Yossi Dagan, described Zar as a “legend” and “fearless fighter” whose efforts made settlement in Samaria possible. Karnei Shomron Local Council head Yochanan Koznitz praised Zar as a model figure driven by faith in the Jewish people’s right to their land. The Yesha Council mourned him as a “redeemer of lands” and a pillar of the settlement enterprise, noting his “glorious legacy of pioneering.” X posts echoed this sentiment, with users calling his passing a profound loss and his memory a blessing.

Zar’s work extended beyond Samaria, influencing Jewish communities in Hebron and other regions. His strategic land purchases and establishment of communities like Gilad Farm have left a lasting mark on the landscape of Judea and Samaria.

Moshe Zar’s death marks the end of an era for the settlement movement, but his vision continues through his family and the communities he helped build.