Israeli Settlement Ganim Reestablished in Northern Samaria After 21 Years

The Israeli settlement of Ganim in northern Samaria will be reestablished this Thursday, 21 years after it was evacuated during the 2005 disengagement. A core group of families will move to the site, and a branch of the Bnei David Ba'alei Yeshiva will be established there to strengthen the Jewish presence in the area. The reestablishment is part of a broader initiative led by the Shomron Regional Council, in cooperation with the Amana movement and the Settlement Division, to renew and expand settlements in northern Samaria.

This move follows the recent establishment of the new settlement Emek Dotan, where 22 pioneering families have already settled. Emek Dotan is the fifth settlement founded by the Shomron Regional Council in less than a year, reflecting a significant settlement drive in the region. The initiative began about a year ago after a government cabinet decision led by ministers Israel Katz and Bezalel Smotrich, as part of the "Connecting Plan" which aims to establish 19 new settlements in northern Samaria and is integrated into the "Million in Samaria" plan.

Ganim was one of four settlements in northern Samaria evacuated during the disengagement, alongside Kadim, Homesh, and Sa-Nur. Shomron Regional Council head Yossi Dagan described the reestablishment as a "historic correction," emphasizing the shift from evacuation to construction and from withdrawal to settlement expansion. He stated, "We are returning home. Instead of uprooting, we bring building; instead of retreat, we bring settlement. Ganin is reborn and northern Samaria comes back to life. The people of Israel are returning home."

Alon Kutzki, chairman of the Ganim core group, expressed strong emotions about the return, highlighting the commitment of families leaving their comfort zones to settle the area. He credited the Shomron Council, Yossi Dagan, and Minister Smotrich for the rapid progress, calling it a great privilege and an inspiring moment to return to the land after 21 years.