Twenty years after they were forcibly evacuated, families from the expelled residents of Sa-Nur and young couples have coalesced as a nucleus preparing for return and rebuilding the community. The founding meeting took place in the office of Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, himself a former Sa-Nur resident and member of the nucleus.
Dagan said at the meeting, “We are beginning a historic step today, the first session of the founding nucleus of the renewed Sa-Nur settlement. The Government of Israel made a strategic and historic decision to return Jewish settlement to Sa-Nur in an official, state-sponsored, and complete manner. This step is not only a correction for the expelled families or for this nucleus of families, it is a national correction,” Dagan added.
MK Bezalel Smotrich, who led the government decision, blessed the move and said, “Historic correction, the return to Sa-Nur – Zionism at its best.”
What was wrongfully ripped away from Sar-Nur residents can never be returned in its original form. However, the fact that this historic decision has been made is a testament to the determination and guiding principles of Zionism. While this is a major step forward, the challenge of applying full sovereignty in Judea and Samaria remains on the “to do” list.