18 years after his home was destroyed: Yossi Dagan won a leadership award

At a moving event held recently at the Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem, the head of the Samaria Regional Council, Yossi Dagan, received the "Brave Leadership of Zion Award" at a festive and well-attended ceremony. The prestigious award was presented to Dagan in recognition of his faith, determination, and leadership in leading the uncompromising struggle for the establishment and renewal of the northern Samaria settlements. On behalf of the Prime Minister, who canceled his arrival due to an urgent cabinet meeting, Caroline Glick, the Prime Minister's international advisor, spoke at the ceremony.

In a moving speech, Dagan shared his personal feelings as someone whose own home in Sa-Nur was destroyed during the expulsion, and emphasized that the award belongs first and foremost to the tens of thousands who fought for the repeal of the Disengagement Law. Dagan thanked the pioneers of Homesh, the Knesset lobbies, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich who included the issue in the government's basic guidelines, and the hundreds of families who have already moved and will move to fully renew the settlement in the coming months. Dagan presented the grandiose development plans for the region, which include a transition from rehabilitation to large-scale construction.

The head of the council declared that instead of the four destroyed settlements — Homesh, Sa-Nur, Ganim, and Kadim — new settlements are currently being built in northern Samaria as part of the organized reconnection program with the Israeli government. Dagan emphasized that the award is only the beginning, and expressed hope to bring a million residents and full sovereignty to Judea and Samaria, as well as to return to Gush Katif. The chairman of the Pulse of Israel organization, Avi Abelow, praised Dagan as a representative of the "victory generation" who turned national pain into growth, construction, and renewal.

During his remarks, the head of the council expressed special thanks to the organization's chairman, Avi Abelow, and his team for their extensive Zionist activity and the tours they bring to Samaria. Abelow, who presented the award to Dagan, shared that he had previously served as a soldier in Homesh and Sa-Nur and was in Gush Katif until the very last moment. He added that he prays to soon see the renewal of Jewish settlement throughout the Gaza Strip as a true correction to the grave mistake of 2005.