Yigal - The Watchman

Not far from where the road from Haifa meets the road from Jenin is a stretch of desolate swamp land. There, enveloped in the darkness of a moonless night, rides a man. To the casual observer he looks like one of the Arab marauders.

Yigal, for such was the name of the horseman, was on his way home to Merchavia, which had only recently been established by a handful of young chalutzim and chalutzot. He was their Shomer, their watchman, their first Jewish watchman. Riding through Wadi Zarir he encountered a band of Arab thieves waiting in ambush for him. He had been in tight corners before and he had found a way out every time. But this time all the trump cards seemed to be in the hands of the enemy.

Standing up in his stirrups, Yigal raised his voice: "Those who still want to live, retreat!" he shouted and he dug his spurs into the sides of his horse. Taken by surprise, the first Arab pulled his horse to the side; rearing instantly, spread confusion amongst the rest. Yigal took his chance. Firing at Salim the leader, he raced towards Merchavia.

"Chaverim, be ready. Salim is wounded and if he dies, his whole village and their neighbors will attack us. There will be a blood feud."

The attack which had been expected for a long time, had impaired their work. Silently and efficiently they carried out Yigal's detailed orders and set out to defend Merchavia.

The attack began with waves of Arabs firing their rifles indiscriminately. It continued throughout the night and when dawn broke, the attackers were astonished to see that Merchavia had so few defenders. One more attempt was made to rush the defenses. Again it was repulsed. Every Arab - from the villages of Gilboa to the far off land of Transjordan - knew that the Jews were brave and deserving of respect.
 

Ha-Shomer

Mark Bermon

Ha-Shomer ("The Watchman") was the association of Jewish watchman in Erez Yisrael, which was active between 1909 and 1920. It was founded by pioneers of the Second Aliyah, many of whom who had been active in revolutionary movements and Jewish self-defense in Russia, and were critical of the hiring of non-Jewish guards to protect life and property in the Jewish settlements.

Ha-Shomer based its methods on a close study of the conditions in the country and its Arab populace. The shomrim spoke Arabic, wore a mixture of Arab and Circassian dress and carried modern weapons. In 1914 they numbered about 40, with another 50 - 60 candidates waiting for membership. The shomerim were prominent in the life of the new yishuv and played an important part in settling new and disputed land. Ha-Shomer was the first body in the Zionist movement and the Jewish yishuv which believed that the existence of an organized Jewish armed force would be a decisive factor in the realization of Zionism. Its example was an inspiration to the Haganah and the pioneering movements.
 
Chalutz World Movement

Hanoar Hatzioni, London 1984

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