New Israeli Settlement 'Noa' Established in Northern West Bank

A new Israeli settlement named Noa was officially established on Tuesday south of the Palestinian towns of Jenin and Kadim in the northern West Bank. The establishment marks the eighth new settlement founded by the Samaria Regional Council in under a year, as part of a broader initiative to expand Israeli presence in the region.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by several Israeli ministers and Knesset members, including Orit Strock, Minister for Settlement Affairs, Miki Zohar, Minister of Culture and Sports, and Amichai Chikli, Minister of Diaspora Affairs and the Fight Against Antisemitism. Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, and the first families to settle in Noa were also present.

Ministers lauded the establishment of Noa as a significant step in reversing the 2005 disengagement from Gaza and northern Samaria, and strengthening Israeli control in the area. Minister Strock described it as a "dream come true" and a "national atonement," while Minister Chikli called it a "correction for the sin of the disengagement." Minister Zohar emphasized that each new home reinforces Israel's hold on the land and regional security.

The settlement is part of the Samaria Council's "Connection Plan," which envisions 19 new settlements in northern Samaria, and its "Million in Samaria" initiative aiming to increase the region's population to one million. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who was not present but whose ministry was involved in the decision, stated that Noa's establishment is "another step in the settlement revolution" and aims to deepen Jewish control in response to what he termed the expulsion from four previous settlements. He also warned against a potential left-wing government dismantling these settlements.

Council head Yossi Dagan stated that the establishment of Noa, the eighth settlement in less than a year, is a moment of "history, justice, and national correction." He asserted that every home built serves as part of Israel's security belt and a Zionist response to its enemies, vowing not to stop until all of northern Samaria is rebuilt and populated.