Abraham Shabot Recalls Pivotal 1975 Sebastia Gathering That Led to West Bank Settlements

Abraham Shabot from Kedumim, a key initiator of the master plan for settlement in the West Bank, recounts the critical 1975 mass ascent to the Sebastia railway station that sparked the establishment of settlements in Judea and Samaria. His interview is part of the Heritage Ministry and Council for the Preservation of Heritage Sites in Israel's "Documentation of Settlement Veterans and Founders" project, which aims to preserve the stories of early settlers across regions including the Jordan Valley, Judea, Samaria, Benjamin, the Golan, and the Galilee.

Shabot describes how 5,000 settlers gathered openly in Sebastia under the banner "Beyad Rama," marking a public, rather than secretive, settlement effort. During the meeting, Defense Minister Shimon Peres arrived and immediately demanded the settlers evacuate the area. Rabbi Levinger reacted by urging the crowd to resist, prompting a tense moment as the crowd began moving toward the building. Commanding officer Yona Efrat, fearing a confrontation, ordered soldiers to protect Peres.

At this critical juncture, settler leader Abraham Mintz intervened, calming the crowd by identifying himself as a representative of the Alon Moreh core group and the Gush Emunim secretariat. He instructed the 5,000 attendees to halt their advance, allowing the meeting to continue peacefully. Following this encounter, the decision was made that the core group would establish the settlement at the Kedumim camp.

The interview is part of a larger archive of hundreds of testimonies collected by Mordy Kreshner and Noam Damski, preserving the foundational chapters of Israeli settlement history for future generations.