The outlook dedicated to Ben-Yosef Livnat
The outlook dedicated to Ben-Yosef LivnatArutz Sheva

Outgoing government minister Limor Livnat on Sunday encouraged youths in Samaria to continue expanding Jewish settlement in the region, establishing new communities - known as "outposts" in the media - on hilltops that are currently barren.

Livnat spoke at a dedication ceremony for a new outlook near the Samaria town of Eilon Moreh, named for her nephew, Ben-Yosef Livnat, who was murdered by Palestinian Authority police in 2011 as he visited the Tomb of Joseph in Shechem. “Ben-Yosef, you have left us, you were taken from us with great cruelty, for just one reason – because you were Jewish,” said Livnat. “You were so young, with a beautiful smile, which caused all of us to smile. You wanted to infect everyone with your happiness.

“You loved everyone, not just your wife Shira, not just your children,” Livnat said. “You loved to love the Jewish people, to love G-d, to love your fellow man. Your love for the the Land of Israel was unlimited. This outlook is just a small symbol of Ben-Yosef's love for the Land,” she added.

The dedication was set for the first day of Hol Hamo'ed, the intermediate days of Pesach (Passover), when hundreds of thousands of Israelis took family trips and excursions. Indeed, there were hundreds of families present at the dedication, who had come to show their love for the land, said Livnat, as well as to gaze at the beautiful 360 view of much of eastern Samaria that is visible from the outlook. Visible from the site is Shechem, Eilon Moreh, the Tomb of Joseph, and much more.

“Today we have sadness mixed with happiness,” said Livnat. “In the merit of Ben-Yosef, we hope that many more outposts and communities will be built in the Land that he loved. I come here today with great emotion and great pride. We all remember Ben-Yosef. From this site we will move on, with great joy.”