For decades, Israelis have debated the future of Judea and Samaria. Some speak about borders, others about diplomacy, and still others about security arrangements. But after the trauma of the October 7 attacks, one truth has become unmistakably clear: Israel cannot afford illusions about geography, sovereignty, or demography.
The next two years present a rare and historic window of opportunity. With Donald Trump serving as President of the United States, Israel has an administration in Washington that has previously demonstrated unprecedented understanding of Israel’s historical rights and security needs. During his previous term, the United States recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and acknowledged Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. These moves broke decades of diplomatic stagnation and affirmed a simple truth: reality on the ground matters.
Today, Israel must apply that lesson to Judea and Samaria.
The Land of the Jewish People
First and foremost, Judea and Samaria are not foreign lands. They are the cradle of Jewish civilization. Hebron, Shiloh, Beit El, and countless other places in this region are where the Bible unfolded and where the Jewish nation first took root. For the Jewish people, these hills are not merely strategic terrain-they are sacred inheritance.
For thousands of years, Jews prayed to return to the land promised to our forefathers. The connection between the Jewish people and this land is recorded in Scripture, reaffirmed through centuries of exile, and realized in the rebirth of the State of Israel. Building Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria is therefore not an act of expansion-it is an act of return.
The Security Lesson of October 7
But history alone is not the only reason.
Security demands it.
The horrors of October 7-when terrorists from Hamas invaded Israeli communities near Gaza-exposed the dangers of leaving strategic territory vulnerable to hostile forces. For years, many believed deterrence, fences, and intelligence would be enough. October 7 proved otherwise.
If Israel withdraws from territory or leaves it sparsely populated, enemies will fill the vacuum.
The narrow coastal plain-where the majority of Israel’s population lives-lies only a few kilometers from the highlands of Judea and Samaria. Ben-Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv, and Israel’s economic heartland are all within easy range from those hills. Whoever controls the high ground controls the security reality of the entire country.
A dense, thriving Jewish population across Judea and Samaria is therefore not merely ideological-it is a strategic shield.
The Million-Jew Plan
Israel should adopt a clear national goal: bring one million Jews to Judea and Samaria within the next two years.
This is ambitious-but entirely achievable.
Israel has done it before. In the 1990s, the country absorbed nearly a million immigrants from the former Soviet Union. Entire cities were built in a decade. Infrastructure expanded rapidly. The same determination can transform Judea and Samaria.
Such a plan would include:
Accelerated housing construction
New cities alongside expanded existing communities
Major investment in roads, transportation, and industry
Incentives for young families and new immigrants
Relocation of government institutions and economic centers
Within a short time, the region could become home to a vibrant population approaching one million Jews.
Creating Irreversible Reality
Diplomacy often follows demographics.
A million Jews living across Judea and Samaria would create an irreversible reality. The question of “withdrawal" would become as implausible as abandoning Haifa or Be’er Sheva. The international debate would gradually shift from hypothetical borders to acknowledging the permanence of Jewish life in the heartland of Israel.
History shows that facts on the ground shape the future.
A Generation’s Responsibility
Every generation of Jews has faced defining moments. Our grandparents rebuilt the Jewish state. Our parents defended it in war and built its economy.
Our generation faces a different challenge: securing the heartland and ensuring that the horrors of October 7 can never be repeated.
Populating Judea and Samaria with a million Jews would not only fulfill the historic bond between the Jewish people and their land. It would also ensure strategic depth, strengthen Israel’s security, and protect the nation’s future.
The opportunity exists now. The question is whether we have the vision-and the courage-to seize it.
Rabbi Yonaton Behar is originally from Queens, NY, and lives in Har Bracha, where he is a marketing and public relations expert. He also translates many of the writings of Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Eliezer Melamed into English.