Key Facts
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About
HaShomer HaChadash (Hebrew: השומר החדש, 'The New Guardian'), inspired by the historical Hashomer movement, is an Israeli Zionist nonprofit organization founded in 2007 to combat agricultural crime and foster a deeper connection between Israelis and their land through volunteerism, education, and security. It recruits over 120,000 volunteers annually to provide security patrols, agricultural labor, and forestry work on farms in Israel's periphery and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, framing its mission as protecting the land, promoting Zionist values, mutual responsibility, civil courage, and connecting people to their heritage. The organization has grown into one of Israel's largest NGOs, with an annual budget exceeding $33 million, operating six agricultural boarding schools, pre-military programs, and agricultural experiences, alongside a youth movement encompassing 22,000 members and tens of thousands overall. It maintains close ties and partnerships with Israeli government ministries and the Jewish National Fund (including JNF-USA), receiving significant funding from Israeli governmental sources, American philanthropists, diaspora donations, and enabling expansion into international collaborations, an international board, global Jewish engagement, and programs for regional food security and Zionist education. Although it positions itself as apolitical and non-partisan, HaShomer HaChadash is frequently linked to right-wing Zionist ideologies and has faced criticism for supporting settler outposts in the West Bank, contributing to efforts to secure Jewish control over farmland, and allegations of facilitating settler violence. It has also played a significant role in emergency responses, such as mobilizing volunteers for farm support, civilian relief, debris removal, and home repairs during the October 7, 2023 attacks and subsequent conflicts.