New Settlement Reestablished in Northern West Bank 21 Years After Evacuation

Rabbi Yaakov Yakir marked the reestablishment of the Kadim settlement in the northern West Bank, recalling the oath made by its evacuees 21 years ago during the forced removal. At the ceremony, Ogna Drori, a member of one of the founding families expelled in 2003, read the original oath affirming Kadim as their eternal home, emphasizing the enduring connection between the Jewish people, the land of Israel, and Torah.

The event highlighted the ideological roots of Zionism as expressed by A.D. Gordon, who saw the redemption of the land and the revival of the Jewish people as inseparable tasks. The article noted the persistent Arab opposition and violence against Jewish settlement efforts, which has historically led to international pressure and sanctions aimed at halting Jewish national development. Despite this, the Zionist response has been to accelerate settlement and territorial development to strengthen Jewish presence.

Since the 1990s, Israel's settlement activity slowed, culminating in the Oslo Accords and the evacuation of settlements including Kadim and others in northern Samaria such as Homesh, Sa-Nur, and Ganim. The new Kadim core, composed of graduates from Ma'aleh Eliyahu Yeshiva in Tel Aviv and their supporters, is part of a broader "connection plan" aiming to establish 19 new settlements in northern Samaria, symbolizing a revival of Zionist settlement efforts after decades of stagnation.

The renewed settlement movement integrates Torah values with Zionism, a shift from earlier secular approaches, and is led by religious Zionist figures like Bezalel Smotrich and Orit Strook. Rabbi Yakir emphasized that this religious-Zionist fusion is a growth engine for the entire State of Israel. The settlers of the evacuated northern West Bank communities are called upon to rebuild their homes and identity as part of the national redemption process. The ceremony included a recitation of a poem by Nathan Alterman, expressing love for the homeland and dedication to its renewal through joy, song, and labor.

Rabbi Yaakov Yakir, head of the Torah State Institute, framed the return to Kadim as a fulfillment of the Zionist mission to redeem both the land and the people, now enriched by Torah as the source of eternal Jewish values.