Moshe Zar, one of the central figures in the settlement movement in Judea and Samaria, died on Friday at the age of 88. He will be buried on Sunday at his family's estate near the Ramat Gilad neighborhood of Karnei Shomron.
Zar was one of the veterans of the Paratroopers Brigade and a founding member of Unit 101. He fought in the 1956 Sinai Campaign and lost an eye during the battle at the Mitla Pass.
Starting in the 1970s, he purchased thousands of dunams of land from Palestinians, on which many Jewish communities in the Samaria region were later built. In 1983, he survived an assassination attempt after being attacked by a Palestinian land dealer.
His son, Gilad Zar, who served as the security officer for the Samaria Regional Council, was killed in a shooting attack in 2001. Following the terrorist murder, Zar purchased land near the scene of the attack and founded Gilad Farm. Some 50 families now live in the settlement, which was legalize din 2018.
In the early 1980s, Zar was part of the group known as the “Jewish Underground” and was involved in the cell that planted the explosive device that blew off the legs of Nablus Mayor Bassam al-Shakaa. He was sentenced to three years in prison but served only four months due to his medical condition.
Years later, in an interview with Arutz Sheva, Zar said: “I’m a graduate of the Jewish Underground. I was caught, confessed, and paid the price. From the moment I was caught, I knew I regretted what I had done. Today, I think the Jewish Underground acted wrongly. That kind of work should be done by the state, the government, the Knesset, and the authorities.”
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Interior Minister Moshe Arbel eulogized him: “Zar was a leader, a man of vision and action in the life of the nation and the state. He led the vision of settlement with boundless dedication, fought fearlessly for love of the land, and served as a guide for settlers in Judea and Samaria. His memory will remain etched forever in the hearts of those who love the people and the land.”
Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, added: “Moshe Zar was a legend and a hero of Israel. The entire settlement movement bows its head at his passing.”
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First published: 22:25, 07.12.25