Late Monday night the Knesset passed the law that officially cancels out the 2005 disengagement from Northern Samaria. The bill had been submitted seven times in a row under seven different parliamentary sessions, and passed this time with a majority of 31 Knesset Members (MK's), including several from the opposition, against 18 who voted against it.
The bill specifically repeals the ban on entry into northern Samaria for Israeli citizens, and its purpose is to actually allow the reestablishment of four communities in the area that were evacuated in 2005 as part of Ariel Sharon's unilateral disengagement plan. The bill also stipulates that if the communiteis are to be rebuilt, it must be done in accordance with the approval of the Israel Defense Forces General of the Central Command.
Knesset Plenum passes bill to change name of Disengagement Plan Implementation Law, repeal clauses banning Israelis from entering or staying in evacuated areas in northern Samariahttps://t.co/baCPpdNQZZ pic.twitter.com/Xqw8jH127A
โ The Knesset (@KnessetENG) March 21, 2023
It should be noted that this proposal comes after the governmentโs response about a month and a half ago to the justices of the Supreme Court that in accordance with the coalition agreements, the secession law will be changed and the Jewish settlement in northern Samaria will be regulated.
According to the bill, the name of the law will be changed to the "Compensation Law for Victims of Disengagement", and sections of the law, which relate to the cancellation of rights in the evacuated territory and the ban on entering and staying in this territory, will be repealed. This will legally allow the continued development of the Yeshiva in Chomash and the settlements in the area.
#WATCH: Samaria residents and legislators dance and raise a toast late last night after the Knesset approved the law canceling expulsion from northern #Samaria in the second and third readings. pic.twitter.com/kVKQo51SsI
โ Israel National News - Arutz Sheva (@ArutzSheva_En) March 21, 2023
ืืืืื ืืืง ืืืืจืืฉ ืืื ืืฉืืจื ืืฉืืืช ืืืชืืืฉืืืช. ืืื ืฉื ืืืง ืืืืจืืฉ, ืื ื ืืื ืืงืืช ืืืง ืืืืืื ืืืืง, ืืืืฉืจืช ืืฉืืืื ืืืฉืื ืืืืืจื ืืื ืืืงื ืืจืฆื ื. ืืื ืืืืืฉืช ืืืืง, ืืืืืจ ืกืื ืืจ ืืื ืืขืืฆืื ืืืืืืช, ืฉืฉืืื ืืช ืืขืื ืื"ื ืืืืืฉ ืื ืคืฆืขื ืงืฉื ืืขืฆืื ืืืื ืืืืืื ืืช ืืืืืง ืืืืืื ืืืืจืืฉ.
โ ืืืชืืจ ืื ืืืืจ (@itamarbengvir) March 21, 2023
ืื"ืฉ ืืื ืืืชืืื!
Orit Struck, the government's Minister who oversees Jewish communities in Samaria & Judea, often called 'Settlements', said that "this is a great day for the State of Israel". She recounted the passing of the proposal and said that "When I submitted this bill in the days when it seemed illusory and hopeless, I knew that a day would come and it would enter the law book of the State of Israel, to start erasing from this book the shameful stain of the 'disengagement plan'. We are blessed."
The Arab League has condemned the Israeli Knessetโs approval of a proposal to amend the โdisengagement planโ on Tuesday, which would enable Israelis to return to four settlements in the West Bank which were evacuated in 2005.https://t.co/BlKKgj6yst
โ Doha News (@dohanews) March 16, 2023
MK Yuli Edelstein, often seen as a moderate voice in Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, said that it took 17 years to pass the law. "Trials, an uncompromising struggle, and a strong belief in the rightness of the way were drained to one moment when the Knesset plenum voted in favor of canceling the disengagement law. The State of Israel tonight began its recovery process from the deportation disaster. History has shown and continues to show us that whenever we give up our homeland, we will receive increasing terror. This is a clear and well-known comparison, with results that never change." Edelstein added that "this is a first and significant step to a real repair and establishment of Israel in the territories of the homeland that belong to it."
