Yossi Dagan Receives Brave Leadership Award for Renewing Settlements in Northern West Bank

Yossi Dagan, head of the Shomron Regional Council, was honored with the 'Brave Leadership of Zion Award' at a ceremony held at the Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem. The award, presented by Pulse of Israel and the Tribe 12 Foundation, recognized Dagan's steadfast leadership and determination in advancing the reestablishment of Jewish settlements in northern Samaria (the northern West Bank).

Due to a last-minute cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Netanyahu was unable to attend, and his international advisor Caroline Glick spoke on his behalf. In an emotional speech, Dagan reflected on the destruction of his own home in Sha-Nur during the disengagement and dedicated the award to the tens of thousands who fought against the 2005 Disengagement Law. He expressed gratitude to the pioneers of Homesh, parliamentary lobbyists, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for prioritizing the issue in government policy, and the hundreds of families who have already moved or will soon move to renew the settlements.

Dagan outlined ambitious development plans transitioning from rehabilitation to large-scale construction. He noted that new communities are being built in place of the four destroyed settlements, Homesh, Sha-Nur, Ganim, and Kadim, under an official government integration plan. He emphasized that this award marks only the beginning, expressing hope to bring one million residents and full sovereignty to Judea and Samaria, as well as to return to Gush Katif.

Pulse of Israel chairman Avi Abelow praised Dagan as a representative of the "generation of victory," transforming national pain into growth and renewal. Abelow, who served as a soldier in Homesh, Sha-Nur, and Gush Katif, expressed his hope to see Jewish settlement restored throughout the Gaza Strip as a true rectification of the 2005 disengagement mistake. Dagan also thanked Abelow and his team for their extensive Zionist activism and educational tours in the Shomron region.