Samaria March
Samaria MarchYehonatan Gottleib

Over 10,000 people, including families, youngsters, and adults, arrived at the old Sabastia train station on Tuesday as part of the Samaria March.

Participants were treated to concerts by Shuli Rand and Yonatan Raziel, a show by children's entertainment star Tuvia Rosenfeld, talks by some of the first pioneers who resettled Judea and Samaria, and marched to the train station, where the first attempts of resettling Samaria occurred in the mid-1970s.

The march took place as part of the renewal of the early pioneers' tradition of holding such marches. The march launched from the town of Shavei Shomron and passed biblical views on its way to Sabastia, where the concerts and other events were held.

Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan stated: "We came here today to wave the Israeli flag, to state that we won't surrender to those who wish to kick us out of our land. We will continue to settle, march, and hike through our entire country. To answer terror we build the land of Israel. We are excited to see the thousands that are marching with us."

Before the march began, A 20-year-old Israeli soldier was severely injured near the march's starting point in Shavei Shomron when terrorists opened fire, and one of the bullets hit the young man's shoulder.

IDF soldiers have begun searching the area for the terrorists. As part of the search, security forces entered several nearby villages and set up roadblocks. It is suspected that the terrorist opened fire from his vehicle, and then escaped the scene.

Samaria Regional Council Head Yossi Dagan responded to news of the attack by saying, "This government's helplessness is costing in blood. For over a month already we have been warning, begging, screaming: Close the checkpoints, collect the weapons, stop the incitement, carry out a military operation against the Palestinian Authority, which is funding this wave of terror here."

Givat Shmuel mayor and Jewish Home number two, Yossi Brodny, who participated in the march together with the other members of his party stated: "We see that terrorism is lifting its head in all areas of Israel and unfortunately in Judea and Samaria the problem is seven times worse. Despite the terror, no one can defeat Israel's citizens and the settlement movement's spirits. The Jewish Home will continue to act to its fullest to keep the land of Israel. This march is a great show of strength by the settlement movement, and makes a clear statement to our enemies: we are here to stay and we will win."