Israeli Families Reestablish Ganim Settlement in Northern West Bank After 21 Years

After 21 years since its evacuation during the 2005 disengagement plan, the Israeli settlement of Ganim in northern Samaria (West Bank) was officially reestablished in a national ceremony attended by ministers, Knesset members, rabbis, and settler leaders. Thirty families returned to rebuild the community, marking a historic moment described by Shomron Regional Council head Yossi Dagan as the end of the era of uprooting and the beginning of growth and settlement expansion in the area.

The event included the announcement of a new branch of the "Bnei David" yeshiva in Ganim, intended to strengthen the Jewish presence in northern Samaria. The reestablishment is part of a broader "connection plan" led by the Shomron Council, which aims to establish 19 new settlements in the region and bring one million residents to the area.

Minister Israel Katz emphasized the strategic importance of Ganim alongside other settlements like Emek Dotan and Sha'Nur, highlighting efforts to combat Palestinian terrorism and strengthen security by recognizing new settlements and returning IDF bases to northern Samaria. Katz thanked Prime Minister Netanyahu and Minister Bezalel Smotrich for their support.

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi called the return a new chapter of holding onto the land and erasing the painful legacy of the 2005 evacuation. Knesset member Yuli Edelstein, who helped repeal the disengagement law in northern Samaria, called the renewed settlement a victory over Israel's enemies and pledged to continue developing the region.

Settler leaders and rabbis expressed deep emotional significance, viewing the return as fulfilling a divine mission of Jewish return to Zion. The renewed community aims to grow substantially, with hopes of reaching 1,000 families within a decade, making Ganim a central settlement in the Shomron region.