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New Facts. The prospect of Likud Leader Menachem Begin as Israel's next Premier further discourages the Palestinians. Since Begin has referred to the West Bank as a "liberated" (rather than "occupied") territory, it is likely that he will approve of more Israeli settlements there if he becomes Premier. Shortly after Likud won last month's election, Begin made a ceremonial visit to Kaddum, a West Bank development sponsored by nationalist zealots of Gush Emunim (group of the faithful) that had never been approved by the Labor government. The devoutly religious members of Gush Emunim, most of whom supported Likud in the election, believe that all of ancient Samaria and Judea (meaning the entire West Bank) is part of Eretz Israel, and they intend to create "new facts" for the Jewish state by building even more new communities there. Says Binyamin Katzover, a founder of the Kaddum settlement: "In my life and the life of our people there have been three turning points: the establishment of the state of Israel, the Six-Day War, and now the assumption of power by nationalists. We represent the people. Most do not want to give back any piece of Judea and Samaria." In answer, Nablus' Mayor Shaka'a warns: "Each settlement creates more hatred. If Begin makes more new settlements, there will be more hatred still."
So far there has been no trouble involving Jews and Arabs at Kaddum, an 18-month-old settlement of 200 Israelis near Nablus that overlooks two Palestinian villages, Git and Kaffar Kaddum. There is little contact between the communities. Living inside a guarded, wire-fenced military compound, the settlers are completely isolated from their neighbors. Says Ze'ev Saffer, who runs Kaddum's drugstore: "We do not buy supplies from them because they want everything in cash and are not ready to give us credit." The Arabs, for their part, are hostile and suspicious. "They are not farmers," one told TIME Correspondent David Halevy, who visited Kaddum last week. "They are soldiers or civilians who work for the army."
In fact, the men of Kaddum are mostly professionals—doctors, engineers, economists, computer technicians and businessmen—many of whom commute to work in Tel Aviv, 30 minutes away by car. At Kaddum, these self-styled pioneers have paved roads, set up a main square called gloriously "Return of a Nation Square" in Hebrew, planted flowers, built a school, a synagogue, a mikveh (ritual bath), and three workshops that produce income from metalworking, ceramics and sewing. In all there are 37 families, with 100 children. Reported Halevy: "Their eyes shine when they talk about the Promised Land: 'It is written in the ancient holy books that the first temple will rise and fall, that the second temple will rise and collapse, but the third temple, whose birth will come in pain and struggle, will survive forever. We are building the third temple.' "