New Settlement 'Giv'at Shomron' Established in Samaria

Hundreds of people celebrated on Wednesday the establishment of a new settlement in Samaria, named Giv'at Shomron, with the arrival of its first 10 families. The settlement is being built by graduates of the Ramat Gan Hesder Yeshiva, led by Rabbis Yehoshua Shapira and Ben Zion Algazi, on the site of a former IDF paratrooper training base near the evacuated settlement of Sa-Nur in northern Samaria.

The establishment of Giv'at Shomron is part of a broader settlement initiative in northern Samaria, which has seen ten new communities established in under a year, following a government decision spearheaded by Ministers Yisrael Katz and Bezalel Smotrich, and Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan. The initiative aims to strengthen Israeli presence and establish communities in the historically and strategically important region.

The event was attended by the founding families, rabbis, and public figures, including Yossi Dagan, MK Boaz Bismuth, Rabbi Berel Lazar, Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, Rabbis Yehoshua Shapira and Ben Zion Algazi, and Ze'ev Hever, Secretary-General of the Amana movement.

Giv'at Shomron is part of the Samaria Regional Council's "Connection Program," which plans to establish 19 new settlements in northern Samaria to replace the four evacuated during the 2005 disengagement. This program is also linked to the council's "Million in Samaria" initiative and is being advanced with Amana and the Settlement Division.

Yossi Dagan stated that Giv'at Shomron is a response to the disengagement and a rectification for northern Samaria, emphasizing the commitment to building the land. Rabbi Yaakov Ariel blessed the settlers, wishing them peace and a connection to both spiritual and practical endeavors. Rabbi Berel Lazar praised the families as "true heroes" for their dedication, and MK Boaz Bismuth thanked the settlers for building the land, highlighting their contribution to the nation.