Former Kadim Residents Return to Reestablish Northern West Bank Settlement After 21 Years

Thirty families, mostly from Tel Aviv and central Israel, have permanently resettled in the renewed settlement of Kadim in northern Samaria, 21 years after its evacuation during Israel's disengagement plan. The resettlement initiative is led by graduates of Zionist yeshivas and reservists from the "Swords of Iron" military operation. At a moving ceremony, expelled resident Ogen Drori, from one of the founding families, surprised attendees by reciting a vow made at the time of the evacuation to return to Kadim. He was presented with a canvas inscribed with the vow, which was written as a poem by Kadim residents, affirming their commitment to rebuild the community.

Drori declared with determination that after 21 years since the evacuation, they intend to rebuild Kadim for at least 21,000 years. He also raised an old Israeli flag, pledging to fly it over Kadim forever. The Kadim citizens' scroll was read aloud, ending with a prayer echoing the biblical prophecy of rebuilding and planting vineyards in the hills of Samaria. The head of the Samaria Regional Council, Yossi Dagan, invited key figures including Ze'ev Hever (Zambish), the secretary-general of the Emunah movement, former council head Bentzi Lieberman, Rabbi Chaim Gantz, and others to join in receiving the vow plaque.

Dagan emphasized that on the 21st anniversary of the evacuation, they can declare that the expulsion from northern Samaria has been rectified. He announced plans to establish 19 new thriving settlements in the region, complete with kindergartens, schools, and infrastructure, as part of the "Million in Samaria" plan led by the regional council and the Emunah movement, supported by government ministers Israel Katz and Bezalel Smotrich. This return completes the reestablishment of the four settlements evacuated in the disengagement: Homesh, Sa-Nur, Ganim, and Kadim. The effort follows over two decades of struggle led by Dagan, the expelled residents, and the "Homesh First" movement.

The ceremony concluded with Drori handing the original Kadim founding scroll, signed by the five founding families in 1983, to the new settlement chairman Oz Tsohar, symbolizing continuity and commitment to preserving Kadim. The crowd responded with prolonged applause, marking a historic moment in the settlement's revival.