From plans to the field: The first families have moved into the new settlement in northern Samaria
Emek Dotan, the first new settlement being established in the area that did not exist before the disengagement, began its occupancy phase this morning. Its establishment is being carried out about a year after the cabinet's decision. Later today, a groundbreaking ceremony will be held with the participation of ministers and Knesset members.
This morning looks different in northern Samaria. Trucks with equipment entered the area, families began unloading their belongings, and the settlement of Emek Dotan moved for the first time from plans and decisions to real life on the ground.
The first families of the founding core moved in this morning, Sunday, to the houses placed on the site, and thus the occupancy phase of the new settlement officially began. Later today, a groundbreaking ceremony is expected to take place with the participation of ministers, Knesset members, and public figures.
Emek Dotan is the fifth settlement established by the Samaria Regional Council within northern Samaria, but unlike the previous settlements, Emek Dotan did not exist before the disengagement; this is the first new settlement being established in northern Samaria.
Its establishment is being carried out about a year after the cabinet's decision, which was promoted under the leadership of ministers Israel Katz and Bezalel Smotrich, and is part of the "reconnection plan" led by the Samaria Regional Council. As part of the plan, the council seeks to promote the establishment of 19 new settlements in the northern Samaria area, as part of a broader move to expand settlement in the region.
The chosen location also has symbolic significance. The settlement is being established near the biblical valley of Dothan, which is identified with the story in which Joseph went to look for his brothers and said, "I am looking for my brothers."
"Today we are privileged to fulfill a dream of generations. In the place where Joseph looked for his brothers, a new settlement has risen today. Emek Dotan is much more than a new settlement. It is an expression of the victory of the Zionist spirit, the eternal connection of the people of Israel to their land, and the continuation of the momentum of settlement in northern Samaria," said the head of the Samaria Regional Council, Yossi Dagan.
For the families themselves, behind the big headlines and the political significance, there is also a simple and tangible life transition. Hadas Weiss, one of the first residents of Emek Dotan, said: "It is exciting to settle the land. We are really doing an important thing here, and it is fun and joyful. We never thought we would establish a settlement in Samaria, but when the offer came, it felt the most right and the best."
