JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The Knesset plenum voted in March 2023 to approve the rescinding of the 2005 Disengagement Law in northern Samaria. The residents of four Israeli towns in the region were expelled from their homes during the Disengagement from Gaza, along with those living in the Gush Katif region.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is now working to implement the law and instructed his staff Wednesday to draw up plans for the reestablishment of Sa-Nur, Ganim and Kedim as well as Homesh, which has long been the site of resettlement efforts by former residents and others. The law has now been rescinded for the entire region, allowing further settlements to develop in Northern Samaria, which had previously been closed to Israeli residence by law.
The move followed a lengthy discussion between Gallant, Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, and IDF officials.
“After the Knesset passage of the law canceling the disengagement and at the end of the work done by IDF headquarters, we were able to complete the historic move,” Gallant said in a statement.
“The Jewish hold on Judea and Samaria guarantees security. Implementation of the law to cancel the disengagement will lead to the development of settlements and provide security to the residents of the area,” he said.
“I thank the head of the Samaria Regional Council Yossi Dagan for the push and commitment to the issue. Just as I have acted in all my positions in the governments of Israel – I will continue to develop the settlements in Judea and Samaria, to strengthen the security elements and the security of the citizens on roads and in settlements,’ Gallant pledged.
“This is a historic moment of historical correction – necessary for the State of Israel in terms of values and security of the first order, certainly after 10/7,” Dagan noted, as he welcomed Gallant’s initiative.
“The State of Israel today corrected in a formal and official manner the injustice and folly of the expulsion from northern Samaria. I congratulate the Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant for the worthy and valuable decision for the State of Israel and Major General Yehuda Fox for signing this important amendment.
“Together, in the name of the entire people of Israel, we struggled to repair the deep national wound of the expulsion of the residents of northern Samaria.
“The disengagement was folly, and after the October 7th massacre everyone understands that even more,” Dagan said.
“The Knesset enacted the law to erase this disgrace, this impure deportation law. The law was initially implemented with the signing of the general’s decree on Homesh and has now been applied to all other settlements,” Dagan said.
“There is nothing more correct, even on a value level, because this is our land and it is impossible for there to be a law on the books that forbids Jews to be in the Land of Israel and certainly on a strategic level after October 7; it is clear to everyone that where there is settlement there is security, where there is no settlement there is terror,” Dagan pointed out.
“Abolishing the disengagement law in its entirety is the first step on the way to the full amendment,” he added. “I congratulate Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, and all members of the government for this Zionist and correct decision.”
Source: VosIzNeias