The Princess

Sharon’s explosive initiative triggered an unprecedented public debate in Israel; One that was full of raw emotion, and essentially split the nation. Doomsday prophets talked of an impending civil war and the end of Zionism. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets in support of, and opposition to, the evacuation. An entire nation held its breath to see what would happen.

But for Hodaya Azulay of Netzarim – a Jewish settlement just south of Gaza City – the drama was much more personal. Having grown up in an atheist family in communist East Germany, she had – through a mixture of tragic circumstances and dogged determination – ended up in Israel, in search of a home and a sense of belonging. After many difficult years, she had finally found that serenity, in the heart of Gush Katif. There, she ran a small petting zoo with sheep, goats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, ducks, hens, turtles, and even little snails. But the undisputed stars of this menagerie – which quickly became the main attraction for Netzarim’s children – were its horses, and especially Sheleg, a beautiful Arabian horse with a flowing white mane and tail. For years Hodaya cared for Sheleg and offered therapeutic riding lessons to members of a community that was dealing with a nearly constant, violent onslaught.

Hodaya and Sheleg were companions and shared a deep bond. But all that came to a head when the Israeli government decided to withdraw from Gaza and dismantle all the Jewish settlements in Gush Katif. Where would they go? And how would their bond survive the forced eviction? Yochai Maital, a young officer in the IDF at the time, first heard the story on the ground, as it was unfolding, in the midst of all the chaos.