Early Settler Recounts Founding of Karnei Shomron Settlement

Hagit Rein, one of the first members of the settlement nucleus in Karnei Shomron, has shared her memories of the settlement's establishment as part of a project by the Ministry of Heritage and the Council for the Preservation of Heritage Sites in Israel. The initiative, titled "Documentation of Veterans and Founders of the Settlement," aims to record the stories of pioneers in various regions of Israel for future generations.

Rein described her strong motivation and belief in settling the Land of Israel as a young woman, stating, "A movement like this arose, to settle the Land of Israel, so I'm there." She recalled participating in establishing settlements across Judea and Samaria, often without knowing her exact location on a map.

Her experience of the "aliyah le'keren" (literally, ascent to the ground, referring to the establishment of a settlement) in Karnei Shomron was marked by personal events. Rein went into labor on the day the group was scheduled to move to Kadum, a nearby settlement. She traveled to give birth to her second daughter and joined the Karnei Shomron settlement a month later when caravans arrived. Despite the lack of electricity and water, she felt immense joy and a sense of historical significance, telling God, "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it - this is where I need to be. Period." She added, "I felt part of something big, that I was making history."

Rein also remembered a speech given by Beni Katzover from an empty truck on a hill, where he predicted, "Thousands of people will be here - and from all the lowlands they will see all of Samaria. People will come because it will be comfortable and fun here. Today idealists came, and in the future all the people of Israel will come here."