Defense Minister Israel Katz announced this morning (Tuesday) at a ceremony held in Beit El his intention for the security establishment to establish military youth communities in the northern Gaza Strip and to return IDF bases moved from northern Samaria to their original locations.
"The State of Israel expresses, once again, in the clearest possible way, its commitment and trust in settlement in Judea and Samaria, which guards the heart of our land, connects us to our heritage, roots, and ideology. The past few years have proven that where there is settlement, there is security. Just as the settlement protects a large portion of Israel's citizens, so our role is to ensure that we protect the protector."
He added that "Settlement is a central part of a broader operation to remove threats throughout Judea and Samaria proactively."
He also referred to yesterday's government decision to close the Galei Tzahal radio station, and said, "We are ending this anomaly of a civilian broadcasting station inside the IDF that attacks the IDF and its soldiers relentlessly, even during the ongoing war. After I examined the matter, and following identical positions expressed by many defense ministers and chiefs of staff in the past, I will not be deterred and will continue to advance the decision."
"Today, some have changed their position out of opposition to the government, and the judicial system has also enlisted to thwart the decision, as part of its struggle against the government. The summer camp is over."
The event was held to mark a historic agreement for the removal of the Binyamin Regional Brigade base from the region's civilian government complex, where it had operated for the last 38 years.
The base area is expected to be replaced by a new residential neighborhood including 1,200 housing units. The project has already been approved for planning and implementation by the Supreme Planning Council.
The ceremony was attended by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Government Secretary Yossi Fuchs, and senior Civil Administration officials. Beit El mayor Shai Alon said the Shehecheyanu blessing for a joyous occasion and led the group in a toast to the new project.
The Yesha Council said, "We welcome Defense Minister Israel Katz on his important announcement on the establishment of new military youth communities in the Gaza Strip. The uprooting of the settlements and the expulsion of the Jews was a terrible injustice, and settlement in Gaza is the rectification. Settlement in the Strip has always strengthened the security of the south of the country and of the entire State of Israel. Now it will also make clear to the enemy that they will pay for the October 7th massacre with the permanent loss of their land."
The new communities are known in Hebrew as Garinim, or nuclei. Such communities are generally comprised mostly of youth or young families who commit to shared living and working in the community, historically in a shared agricultural area or specified volunteer initiative. Upon reaching the age of enlistment, the group will enter the IDF together and remain a cohesive unit throughout their service, then return to start or continue families in their community to ensure continued growth and a new generation of soldiers. The current plan calls for the communities to be centered around the Nahal Brigade, although the exact role of each soldier is still determined by the IDF at their enlistment.
