Jewish Settlement Ganim to Be Reestablished in Northern West Bank After 21 Years

After 21 years since its evacuation and destruction under the 2005 disengagement plan, the Jewish settlement of Ganim in northern Samaria (West Bank) is set to be reestablished this Thursday. The Samaria Regional Council announced that a pioneering group of families will move onto the site to renew the Jewish presence there. This initiative is led by the Samaria Regional Council in close cooperation with the Amana movement and the Settlement Division.

Alongside the families' arrival, a new branch of the Bnei David Yeshiva from the nearby settlement of Eli will be established in Ganim, serving as a central religious institution to strengthen the settlement's foundation and Jewish presence in northern Samaria. This development follows shortly after the recent establishment of the new settlement Emek Dotan, where 22 pioneering families have already settled. Emek Dotan is the fifth new settlement founded by the Samaria Regional Council within less than a year, reflecting a significant construction surge in the region.

The reestablishment of Ganim culminates a prolonged 21-year struggle to repeal the disengagement law and return to evacuated settlements. The effort was led by Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, alongside activists from Homesh First, the Homesh Yeshiva, and former residents of Homesh and Sa-Nur who refused to relinquish their homeland. This move follows a decision by the Security Cabinet about a year ago, spearheaded by Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, as part of the "Connection Plan" which includes establishing 19 new settlements in northern Samaria under the "Million in Samaria" initiative.

Ganim was one of four northern Samaria settlements evacuated in 2005, along with Kadim, Homesh, and Sa-Nur. Yossi Dagan hailed the reestablishment as a historic rectification of the disengagement injustice, emphasizing a shift from uprooting to building and from retreat to pioneering settlement. Alon Kutzki, head of the Ganim group, expressed great excitement and a strong commitment from families leaving their comfort zones to undertake this national mission.