Families return to the evacuated West Bank settlement of Ganim 21 years later

Twenty-one years after the evacuation of settlements in the northern West Bank, families from the Ganim community returned to the site Thursday and reestablished the settlement following a Cabinet decision to legalize dozens of settlements. Dozens of caravans were placed to house the families, and a branch of the Bnei David educational institutions was established there.

The return to Ganim accompanies the resettlement of Homesh and Sa-Nur, with the Kadim settlement also expected to be reestablished soon, completing a reversal of the disengagement from the northern West Bank.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich addressed those present at the site, saying: "Twenty-one years after the terrible sin of the expulsion from Gush Katif and northern Samaria, we are finally erasing the disgrace of the expulsion from northern Samaria. This morning, we returned to the community of Ganim, one of the four communities that were evacuated, together with a wonderful community from the Bnei David institutions in Eli." He thanked Rabbi Eli Sadan, Rabbi Yehuda, and others involved.

Smotrich outlined further settlement plans, stating: "This summer, we are establishing 11 new communities and physically moving onto the land in northern Samaria. There were four, and there will be 18 communities, 11 of them immediately, including Homesh, Sa-Nur, Ganim and Kadim."

He characterized the resettlement as having security implications, saying: "Samaria is ours. It is an inseparable part of the Land of Israel and the State of Israel, the security belt of the State of Israel." He described how settlements in the region would provide security for Israeli population centers, and stated: "We are strengthening the security belt, killing the idea of a Palestinian state and making clear that the Land of Israel is ours forever."

The reestablishment of the settlement follows a four-day blockade imposed by extremist Jews on the Palestinian village of Qusra, which drew international criticism and a response from the Trump administration demanding explanations from Israel.