The Knesset passed a new law Monday night repealing the 2005 Disengagement Law, which forbade Israelis from entering and residing in Northern Samaria areas that were evacuated during the region’s disengagement. This was a historic move.
The vote was 31 to 18 in favor of passing the law. Before Monday night’s second and third readings, it was sent back to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee after being approved at its first reading a week earlier.
The disengagement from Gaza and northern Samaria in 2005 led to the initial imposition of the restriction on entering and remaining in certain regions north of Samaria.
According to the bill, this restriction would be repealed.
The law will govern the status of the Homesh Yeshiva students and permit the citizens of Homesh and Sa-Nur to live there in peace.
The area of the Gaza Strip that was evacuated during the 2005 disengagement is exempt from the law.
Right-wing and settlement groups ecstatically embraced the new law.
“Today is a beautiful day for the State of Israel,” stated minister Orit Strock. Not only are we not returning to Homesh and reconstructing the towns, but we are also altering our course and moving forward.
One of the 13 Likud MKs who voted against the disengagement in 2005 was MK Yuli Edelstein.
She also spearheaded the current bill that would repeal the disengagement. “17 years of tries, an unyielding fight, and a deep conviction in the rightness of the way came together to one moment,” Edelstein said of the Knesset plenum’s vote to repeal the Disengagement Law.
Tonight, the State of Israel started getting over the catastrophe of the expulsion. History has demonstrated—and continues to demonstrate—that every time we cede territory from our country, terrorism will grow.
The equation is simple and well-known, and the outcomes are constant. This is a crucial initial step toward complete restoration.
MK Ze’ev Elkin (National Unity Party) expressed his appreciation for the bill’s advancement and noted that it represents a turning point in his life.
“The closest circle is because Minister Orit Strock and I were the first Knesset members to introduce this measure a few terms ago. The bar is now close to being approved. According to Elkin, this statute is significant because it corrects the Disengagement Plan’s enormous unfairness.
During the law’s discussion, Benny Gantz, the leader of National Unity, stated that he would be against the legislation.
“I believe returning there is inappropriate. We must keep in mind that, in addition to supporting settlement, we also cannot overlook our need to find a way to live alongside Palestinians in the area,” Gantz said.
משפחות מגורשי צפון השומרון ותלמידי ישיבת חומש חוגגים בריקוד ספונטני בכנסת לאחר העברת חוק ביטול תכנית ההתנתקות. pic.twitter.com/vAnrEx8JJl
— Moti Kastel מוטי קסטל (@KastelMoti) March 21, 2023
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