Families Return to Northern West Bank Settlement Kadim 21 Years After Disengagement

A significant milestone was reached on Thursday in the northern West Bank as 30 families moved permanently into the settlement of Kadim, 21 years after it was evacuated during Israel's disengagement plan. The families were accompanied by Finance Minister and Minister in the Defense Ministry Bezalel Smotrich and Shomron Regional Council head Yossi Dagan. Most of the new residents come from Tel Aviv and central Israel, including graduates of Zionist yeshivas and reservists from the recent Iron Swords war.

A symbolic moment occurred when Ogen Drori, a disabled IDF veteran and son of one of Kadim's founding families, arrived carrying the original settlement flag, which he had preserved for 21 years since the evacuation. Drori expressed deep emotion, saying, "I knew, I knew, I knew we would return," and highlighted his family's Zionist heritage and resilience.

This return to Kadim follows the resettlement of the other three northern West Bank settlements evacuated in 2005: Homesh, Sa-Nur, and Ganim, completing the restoration of all four. The move is part of the "Connection Plan," led by the Shomron Regional Council and the Amana movement, aiming to establish 19 new settlements in the area.

Smotrich called the original evacuation a "crime" and declared that the return to Kadim and the other settlements restores a vital security belt for Israel. Yossi Dagan emphasized that this is not just about returning life to Kadim but about shaping the future of northern Shomron through growth and strengthening Israeli presence. Settlement core leader Oz Zohar described the day as a national celebration marking the return to ancestral land after two decades.

New resident Hannah Esther Belzam from Beersheba shared her excitement despite challenges, saying the community spirit and seeing other families in the streets made the experience "amazing." An official ceremony with ministers, Knesset members, public figures, and the families is planned for later Thursday to mark the formal inauguration of the settlement's reestablishment.