First Families Move Into New Emek Dotan Settlement in Northern West Bank

The new settlement of Emek Dotan in the northern West Bank officially began with the arrival of the first families who moved into permanent housing units recently placed on site. Trucks carrying equipment continue to arrive as the founding families, members of the core establishment group, settle in ahead of the official inauguration ceremony scheduled for today. The event will include participation from government ministers, Knesset members, and public figures such as Shomron Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, Education Minister Yoav Kisch, Minister Ze'ev Elkin, and Knesset members Keti Shitrit, Boaz Bismuth, and Nissim Vaturi. Also attending are Ze'ev Haver, secretary-general of the Amana movement, and Rabbi Chaim Baruch, head of the Baruchin yeshiva institutions, whose alumni are among the first settlers.

Emek Dotan is the fifth settlement established by the Shomron Regional Council in less than a year, following a government decision to create 19 new communities in the northern West Bank. The settlement is located near the biblical Emek Dotan valley, associated with the story of Joseph and his brothers. The council emphasizes that the new community aims to strengthen Jewish presence in the area and provide access to historical sites.

Yossi Dagan described the establishment as fulfilling a generational dream and symbolizing the enduring connection of the Jewish people to their land, calling it a victory of Zionist spirit and a foundation for a thriving community. Resident Hadass Weiss, a mother of two young daughters, expressed excitement about contributing to the settlement of the land and described the decision to move to the West Bank as both right and joyful.