Israel reopens West Bank settlement evacuated 20 years ago
GANIM, Palestinian Territories: Israel officially reopened the West Bank settlement of Ganim on Thursday, more than 20 years after it withdrew from the community, in a move emblematic of the current government’s policy of rapid settlement expansion.
On Thursday, Israel officially reopened the West Bank settlement of Ganim, more than two decades after withdrawing from the community. The settlement, one of four Israeli communities evacuated under former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's disengagement plan in 2005, was evacuated due to its isolated location in the north of the occupied territory.
Ganim's new street was filled with pre-fabricated homes, as future residents and their families arrived to help with the move. A month earlier, the area was barren, with only rocky mountains and minimal trees. One new resident, Reut Baran, expressed her joy at the sight of her newly built home. Matan Berkovitch, a 25-year-old father, also welcomed the government's supportive stance on settlements.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz marked the reopening with a ceremony, emphasizing the government's commitment to settlement expansion. Under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's administration, settlement construction has significantly intensified, with three of the four evacuated communities, including Ganim, being re-established.
The ceremony saw about a hundred people from Israel and other West Bank settlements attend, including Katz and Yossi Dagan, head of the Israeli authority overseeing settlements in the northern West Bank. Palestinians living below the settlement expressed concerns over the construction's potential impact on their lives and potential displacement.
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