Moshe Zar Laid to Rest: A Defining Figure in Israel’s Settlement Movement and Military History
Moshe Zar, a central figure in Israel’s settlement enterprise and a founding member of elite military units Unit 101 and the Paratroopers Brigade, was laid to rest Sunday evening at his estate in Mitzpe Tzviim near Ramat Gilad. He passed away on Friday at the age of 88.
Zar’s funeral drew prominent public figures, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Rabbi Eliezer Melamed of Har Bracha, Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu of Tzfat, Ze’ev Hever, and Samaria Regional Council Head Yossi Dagan, among others from Judea and Samaria’s leadership.
Eulogizing Zar, Dagan hailed him as “a living legend, a Jew of biblical proportions… a pioneer, a man of truth, and a source of inspiration.” He compared Zar to Yehoshua Hankin, the early Zionist land redeemer, and credited him with shaping the modern settlement movement through tireless, often perilous land acquisition.
Zar, who lived with what Dagan described as “114% disability” after losing an eye and surviving two assassination attempts, was undeterred in his mission. He famously vowed to establish six settlements in memory of his son Gilad, who was murdered in a terrorist attack. That promise led to the founding of Ramat Gilad, Havat Gilad, and additional outposts and communities.
“Every grain of land was part of his soul,” Dagan said. “We are your students. We swear to continue your mission—to redeem more land, to build more communities, to fulfill your vision with love and resolve.”
A devout religious Zionist, Zar turned to land acquisition in Judea and Samaria after the Yom Kippur War, legally establishing a Jordanian front company to facilitate purchases. Between 1979 and 1982, he reportedly bought thousands of square meters of land across 30 Arab villages, often becoming a known figure among both Jewish and Arab landowners.
Zar’s life was not without controversy. In 1983, he survived a violent assassination attempt by an Arab landowner he had traded with—an attack that left him severely wounded by axe and gunfire. He later became linked to the Jewish Underground, a radical group active in the 1980s. Zar served as the driver for a cell that planted a bomb in 1980 which injured Bassem al-Shakaa, then-mayor of Nablus, causing him to lose both legs. Zar was convicted and served less than a year in prison.
Despite this, many in the Israeli settlement movement view Zar as a trailblazer who risked his life for the land and the people of Israel. His estate, symbolic of his decades-long struggle and vision, will now serve as his final resting place.
As Dagan concluded at the grave: “Moshe, you leave behind not just family, but an army of believers. We vow to carry forward your legacy. Your battle becomes ours.”
