In 2009, then Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad unveiled a plan to unilaterally establish a Palestinian state by creating “facts on the ground,” despite the Oslo Accords. His program, Palestine: Ending the Occupation, Establishing the State, called for full sovereignty over the “West Bank” and Gaza within the 1967 lines, with Jerusalem as its capital, and outlined how that goal would be achieved. Once Israel realized the overall threat this presented it begin to respond.
Israel’s hilltop communities and farms in Judea and Samaria were founded, with idealistic young couples and youth managing to thwart key aspects of Fayyad’s plan. When the horrors of October 7 turned almost all Israelis against the very thought of a Palestinian Arab State alongside Israel, the government realized the need for the farms and sheep ranches spread over the empty expanses of land. It saw how Hilltop communities would block Arab attempts to create contiguity – all this – in Israel-controlled Area C.
AFSI Insight
The Hilltop Youth are too often mischaracterized and dismissed, while their dedication to settling and protecting the Land of Israel deserves greater recognition. These young men and women building and defending Israel’s hilltops are carrying forward the pioneering Zionist spirit that established the modern Jewish state. While critics frequently portray them as extremists, many are strengthening Israel’s strategic presence in Judea and Samaria through hard work, determination, and an unwavering belief in the Jewish people’s historic rights.
AFSI has long maintained that a strong Jewish presence throughout Judea and Samaria is essential to Israel’s security and future. These communities create facts on the ground that help safeguard Israel’s heartland, deter terrorism, and reinforce the Jewish people’s enduring connection to their ancestral homeland. Rather than condemning these idealistic young pioneers, Israel and all of Am Yisroel should support those who are helping secure the nation’s future.
Source:
Thank G-d for those hilltop youth, by Rochel Sylvetsky/Israel National News, July 17, 2026