Netzer Hazani was the first of the 22 towns in Gush Katif (and the first of the 9 agricultural towns) was established in 1976 by the Israeli government led by Yitzhak Rabin, on the empty sand dunes of the southern Gaza strip.

When the first ten families arrived we found totally empty barren sand dunes.

The Arab mukhtars (mayors, religious leaders) of the nearest towns told us that these dunes were in their tradition- cursed land (!!!). The Mukhtars said that they called this area El G'erara. These Arab leaders told us that this was the biblical Gerar and that apparently the last people to have ever grown anything in this area were our forefathers, Abraham and Isaac.

The Israeli Ministry of Agriculture advisors, as well, predicted that it would be impossible to grow anything in this totally non-absorbent inert soil and recommended bringing heavier richer soil from further North of Israel. In fact, we planted directly in these sand dunes and prayed that we would succeed.

Over the 29 years that we planted picked and exported flowers ,vegetables and herbs ,adding hard work, initiative, adding hard work, initiative , investment and prayer to the formula we saw an amazing blessing from God.

These cursed Gerar sand dunes again became a flourishing blossoming area with world renowned success in the organic and general export markets of fresh produce, exactly as the prophets predicted.

In August 2005 the 1700 families, 9000+ people of Gush Katif were evacuated from this flourishing area of the our Homeland by our Israeli government.

The homes, businesses, schools, flourishing green areas, united families and communities were all destroyed as if they had never been. However the spirit that built up Gush Katif, the faith in God that brought our success, the values, and the communities were all taken out with us.

With God's help these will not be destroyed.

Our community of Netzer Hazani, 60 families of which were involved in agriculture, is now living in temporary caravilla – communities, most in Ein Tzurim.

The lack of homes, income and especially the lack of the hard work that our people have been used to are part of the difficult outcome of this expulsion and we are making every possible effort to reestablish our community, businesses and again contribute in the development of the land of Israel as quickly as possible.