Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the community of Ofra in the Binyamin region today (Sunday), which this month marks its 50th anniversary. During the visit, he emphasized his continued efforts to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state and to strengthen Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria.
Netanyahu took part in a ceremonial event alongside Israel Ganz, head of the Binyamin Regional Council and chairman of the Yesha Council. Together, they unveiled a cedar tree that Netanyahu had planted on the site 25 years ago.
Addressing attendees, Netanyahu said, “It is very, very moving to be here. I came here 25 years ago, half a jubilee, to plant roots in a place where we have had roots for thousands of years. I said I would return, if invited, for the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Ofra settlement.”
He continued, “I said that one of the young people in the crowd would surely also become the settlement secretary. He wasn’t a child, but he was a young man, and he is still a young man. I also said in conversation with you later that we will do everything to ensure the continuation of our hold on the Land of Israel, to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, to prevent the attempts that were—and, unfortunately, still are—to uproot us from here. Thank God, what I promised—we have fulfilled.”
“This was not easy, because there were many forces, many pressures. Pressures from within, pressures from outside, a series of American presidents who wanted to uproot us and establish a Palestinian state here. We stood firm together. We fulfilled the promise of generations, and look at what has happened since.”
Concluding his remarks, Netanyahu added, “I am amazed every time I come here, but I have not been next to this tree for 25 years. This tree symbolizes the deepening of our roots in our homeland and the raising of its treetops ever higher, exactly as we promised. I bless you for being, in essence, the spearhead of the continuation of our existence in our land.”
Ganz remarked, “Ofra is a symbol of vision, pioneering spirit, faith in the righteousness of the path, and determination that does not yield to any difficulty. From here came a call for life, community, education, and action, which became the engine of growth for the entire Benjamin region. Our responsibility is to continue this path, to ensure that future generations in Ofra, throughout Binyamin, and all of Judea and Samaria, will continue to live here in security and prosperity. To achieve this, we must implement Israeli law in Judea and Samaria. Mr. Prime Minister, this is the moment for a move that will be recorded in the history books. This is the moment to apply full sovereignty across all of Judea and Samaria, which will ensure that, as your government changed the reality in Lebanon, Syria, Iran, and the Gaza Strip, Judea and Samaria too will change its face and officially—and in the eyes of the world—become an inseparable part of the State of Israel.”
During the meeting, regional council leaders emphasized to the Prime Minister that this is the time to apply broad Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria—not only over settlement blocs, but over all Jewish communities. They warned that any delay or hesitation would signal weakness and harm the future of the Israeli communities. “Applying sovereignty after a UN declaration would be seen as a reactive measure and would legitimize the line drawn by Israel’s enemies. We must reverse the order—sovereignty first, and only then will there never be a reason for a declaration.”
Senior Yesha Council officials added, “The hesitation in Israel in recent years has fueled political maneuvers to advance the idea of a Palestinian state. While the IDF fights on fronts in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran, there is a political vacuum in Judea and Samaria, and the absence of a clear government decision undermines settlement security.”
Council leaders noted that the Knesset has already passed a decision by a large majority calling for the application of sovereignty—a decision the Prime Minister himself has supported in the past. They stated, “It is time to move from words to actions. Not partial sovereignty in settlement blocs only, but full sovereignty throughout all of Judea and Samaria—this is the call of the hour: Jewish, historic, moral, and security-driven.”
Ofra secretary Sami Karsenti said: “The Prime Minister visited Ofra 25 years ago and planted a tree. During that visit, he promised to return for the 50th anniversary celebrations—and today has arrived. We are very pleased with the Prime Minister’s visit to our settlement. The Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria has come a long way, and we hold the land firmly. We continue the path of our ancestors who returned to their homeland after two thousand years of exile and are realizing the generational vision of the return of the people of Israel to all parts of historic Eretz Israel. At the same time, from here—Ofra, the first settlement established on the Jerusalem-Afula axis—we call to strengthen the settlements, regulate the status of the Ofra settlement, and apply sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.”
