First Families Return to Reestablished Kadim Settlement in Northern West Bank After 21 Years

On Thursday morning, thirty families moved into the reestablished settlement of Kadim in northern Samaria (West Bank), 21 years after being uprooted during the disengagement plan. The families were accompanied by Finance Minister and Defense Ministry Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Shomron Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, who have led the return and establishment efforts. The settler core mainly consists of families from Tel Aviv and central Israel, including graduates of Zionist yeshivas and Iron Swords war veterans.

A key moment in the return was the arrival of Ogen Drori, a disabled IDF veteran and survivor of 11 shooting attacks, who brought the original Kadim flag that was taken down during the evacuation. Drori expressed deep emotion, saying, "I knew, I knew, I knew we would return." He emphasized his family’s Zionist heritage and the historical struggle to maintain their homeland.

This return is part of the "Connection Plan" led by the Shomron Regional Council and the "Emunah" movement, following government and cabinet decisions spearheaded by ministers Israel Katz and Bezalel Smotrich. The plan envisions establishing 19 new settlements in northern Samaria as part of the "Million in Shomron" initiative. The return to Kadim completes the resettlement of the four northern Samaria communities evacuated in the disengagement: Homesh, Sa-Nur, Ganim, and Kadim.

Smotrich declared, "21 years after the crime of expulsion from northern Samaria, today we completed the correction." He warned against future government attempts to evacuate these communities, calling them a vital security belt for Israel. Dagan highlighted the resilience of the Israeli settlement movement and vowed to expand Kadim twentyfold, calling the return a determined Zionist response.

The head of the settler core, Oz Zohar, called the day a national celebration marking the eternal bond between the Jewish people and the land of Israel. New residents like landscape architect Hannah Esther Belzam expressed excitement and determination despite challenges, emphasizing the emotional significance of returning to Kadim.

According to the Shomron Regional Council, Kadim is the sixth settlement established in less than a year, aimed at strengthening northern Samaria’s security, access to historical sites, and settlement presence.