On Wednesday (Wednesday), the Northern District Committee approved a new settlement in the Lower Galilee, on the Turan Range (near the Beit Rimon Valley and the Natufa hills). No new settlement has been established in the region for 30 years, so the approval of the establishment now provides a critical contribution to Jewish settlement in the Galilee, in light of Hezbollah’s threats across the Lebanese border. The decision to approve the settlement sends a message of strength to Hezbollah, and confidence in the future of Israel.
The new settlement will be called “Shibolet,” and will include about 350 housing units, which are expected to be built and populated by 2026. This is a different settlement than usual, with 20% of housing units intended for people with special needs, and the community will be an inclusive and supportive community. This is a unique concept, which currently exists only in the settlement of Gevaot in Gush Etzion. The integrated community is a symbol of a well-established and values-oriented society, and can contribute to Israeli society as a model and example.
The road to establishing the settlement was long, when it was first proposed by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in 2003, more than 20 years ago. In 2015, the plan was approved for the framework of the combination, and in 2018 the plans were approved by the housing cabinet. In the past year, the bureaucracy was promoted by the Minister of Settlements Orit Struck, and the current approval by the Northern Conference constitutes a permit to begin actual work on the ground – an entirely open area, today.
Gal Greenwald, chairman of the Settlement Division, referred to the approval of the establishment: “This is a double-sided settlement. There is also a new settlement on the Toran Ridge: The State of Israel must come to its senses and act to establish more and more points in the Galilee. As time passes, the state loses land to violent and illegal takeover, and the settlement is the most effective response. And the second gospel is the establishment of a community that combines people with special needs and people without special needs together in one community.” Ophir Shik, deputy head of the Lower Galilee Regional Council and one of the founders of the settlement, said that “the settlement of Shibolet is a symbol of hope, integration and a better future vision for all its residents.”
