Bereaved Founders of 'Returning Home' Urge Immediate Israeli Sovereignty Over West Bank Open Areas

Yehoshua Sherman and Eliav Libi, founders of the "Returning Home" forum who lost their sons in terror attacks, toured the hills of Judea and Samaria with Channel 7, calling for an immediate change in Israeli policy regarding Areas A and B in the West Bank. Sherman lost his son Yehuda Shmuel in a terror attack in Samaria, while Libi's son David was killed during operations in Gaza. They demand Israeli sovereignty and settlement expansion in the open lands of Area A, warning that the current situation threatens Israel's security and territorial integrity.

During the tour, Libi pointed to ongoing Arab construction and road building in open areas, which he said aims to create territorial continuity between Palestinian villages and control the landscape. Sherman described the implementation of the "Fayyad Plan," which he claims facilitates Palestinian control over open lands, warning that if 80% of the mountain ridge controlling Israel is Palestinian, the state’s existence is at risk. He emphasized that while maps suggest Areas A cover most of Judea and Samaria, only 20% is built-up, with 80% open land that Israel can still claim.

Libi praised the growth of Israeli settlements but criticized their limitation to Area C under Oslo Accords, asserting that "all of the Land of Israel is ours" and calling for action in Areas A and B as well. He cited his involvement with the Farm Association, which reclaimed over a million dunams for Israel, as a model for reclaiming open lands in Areas A and B. Sherman added that former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu transferred open lands from Area C to Areas A and B in past agreements, and Libi urged Netanyahu to reconsider this policy.

Both men connected their activism to their personal losses, with Sherman stating their heavy price paid for settling the land and their desire to prevent further casualties. Libi described his son’s death as a painful wake-up call motivating his efforts. Sherman said their strength comes from their children’s legacy and that they must learn from the dedication of young settlers who are actively changing the reality on the ground. He called for simplifying complex thinking to embrace a straightforward commitment to the land.