Israel Reestablishes Ganim Settlement in Northern West Bank After 21 Years

A significant step toward renewing Jewish settlement in northern Samaria is underway as the Ganim community, evacuated in 2005 during Israel's disengagement plan, is set to be reestablished on Thursday, August 13. A core group of families will move to the site to restore the settlement, with the initiative led by the Shomron Regional Council in cooperation with the Amana movement and the Settlement Division. Concurrently, a new branch of the Bnei David Ma'ale Yeshiva will open there, playing a key role in strengthening the Jewish presence in the area.

This return follows closely after the establishment of the new settlement Emek Dotan, where 22 families have already settled. Emek Dotan marks the fifth settlement founded by the Shomron Regional Council within less than a year, as part of a broader effort to bolster settlement in the region following the repeal of the disengagement law. This effort is part of the "Hitchabrut Plan," which envisions the creation of 19 new settlements in the area, following a government cabinet decision led by ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Israel Katz.

Ganim was one of four settlements in northern Samaria evacuated in 2005, alongside Kadim, Homesh, and Sa-Nur. After a prolonged struggle by the Shomron Regional Council, Homesh Yeshiva members, and former residents, settlement activity is returning to the area. Yossi Dagan, head of the Shomron Regional Council, called the event a "moment of historic correction," emphasizing the shift from uprooting to construction and from retreat to settlement expansion.

Alon Kutzki, leader of the Ganim core group, expressed excitement and gratitude for the support from families and local leadership, highlighting the emotional significance of returning to a land abandoned for over two decades. He credited the council, Dagan, and Minister Smotrich for enabling the rapid progress of this initiative.