Thousands March in West Bank to Commemorate Disengagement, Mark New Settlements

Over 10,000 people participated in the "Shomron March" on Wednesday, walking from the evacuated communities of Ganim and Kadim in the northern West Bank to Kadim. The march took place 21 years after these settlements were dismantled as part of the 2005 disengagement plan, and about a month after families returned to the area. The event concluded with a rally in Kadim, attended by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Settlement and National Missions Minister Orit Strock, and Knesset Member Limor Son Har Melech.

The march was part of the Sukkot holiday events in the Shomron region. It began with a prayer service in the community of Noam, followed by the procession from Ganim to Kadim. At the rally, regional council head Yossi Dagan stated, "This day is not just a correction of the past, it is first and foremost building the future. 21 years ago, communities were destroyed here, and today we are returning to rebuild the entire northern Shomron." He outlined a vision for 19 new settlements and thousands of new families in the area.

Minister Ben-Gvir emphasized the significance of returning to the evacuated sites, calling settlement in Judea and Samaria a "security shield" for Israel. "Where they uprooted, we return. Where they destroyed, we build," he declared. Ben-Gvir also stated his intention to strengthen settlements and dismantle the Palestinian Authority, which he accused of funding terrorism, if he serves as defense minister in the next government.

Minister Strock highlighted the government's efforts to reverse the damage of past agreements, noting the establishment of 19 new settlements in northern Shomaria in place of the four evacuated ones. Knesset Member Son Har Melech called the march a "clear statement: the people of Israel are returning to their land," and expressed hope that what was rectified in the northern Shomron would also be corrected in Gaza and all of Eretz Yisrael.

The return to Ganim and Kadim follows the recent establishment of new communities in the area, underscoring a renewed focus on settlement expansion in the northern West Bank.