Shomron March
Shomron MarchCourtesy Shomron Council

Arutz Sheva’s Yoni Kempinski took part in the Shomron March on Wednesday, which celebrated Jewish life in Samaria.

3,000 students, parents, soldiers, and Israelis of all ages and backgrounds joined together for the annual march, which was held this year as part of the ongoing “Nice to Meet Samaria” campaign, conducted by the Samaria Regional Council in order to bring more Israelis from the coastal region to an area of the country right in their backyard that many have never visited.

The event was dedicated to the memory of former Tourism Minister Rechavam Ze'evi, who was murdered by Arab terrorists in Jerusalem in 2001. 

Minister Ze’evi’s father, Palmach Ze’evi, was among the participants in the march. He told Arutz Sheva, “Father said in very plain and clear words that in order to be able to survive this country which demands so much from us, you need to love it.”

“In order to create this strong love, he said we must walk the land – in the mountain and on the creek, in the summer and in the cold – but before we take the first step in this endless trip, we should take our shoes off, and this is because we’re stepping on the Torah,” added Ze’evi.

“This is the land of our forefathers,” he continued. “When we walk it, we are walking at home. This is was father and this is the reason we’re here today.”

Shomron Council head Gershon Mesika said that “this march perfectly preserves the legacy of Rechavam Ze'evi, the spirit of unity and the love of the Land of Israel. Thousands of observant and secular marchers from Samaria and from around the country marched together with IDF soldiers on the Land of Israel, united in their memory of the minister.”

“This is a constructive way of showing ownership – by walking without fear through our own land,” said march participant Yehuda Simon. “We should be able to hike and walk and tour and visit any place in the land of Israel that we want, without fearing attacks from other people who want to push us out of this land.”