Shavei Shomron

Found in: Religious Israeli settlements

Shavei Shomron is an Israeli settlement in the Samaria region of the West Bank, founded in 1977. Located to the west of Nablus (Shechem) on the road to Tulkarm, Shavei Shomron is a communal settlement within the municipal jurisdiction of the Shomron Regional Council. As of 2003, it had a population of 604, mostly religious Zionist and Modern Orthodox Jews. Its municipal jurisdiction is 664 dunams, of which 272 dunams are built up.

History

In late 1976, supporters of the Gush Emunim (Bloc of the Faithful) staged a takeover of the abandoned Sebastia railroad station, located outside an Arab village of the same name. The location is in proximity to the ruins of Samaria, the capital city of the northern Kingdom of Israel, built by King Omri. Using this as justification to secure the Israeli claim to the region, the demonstrators demanded that settlement be initiated in this region. With the support of newly elected Prime Minister Menachem Begin, a residential community was built the following year alongside a military base at a strategically valuable crossroads by residents of nearby Netanya, and with the assistance of the Amana settlement organisation.

Population

The community boasts a swimming pool, ulpan for observant newcomers, and picturesque views of the Samarian hills, which serve to attract a diverse population including many olim from English speaking countries as well as Russian Jews from the former USSR, Yemenite Jews, Bnei Menashe, [*] and almost a dozen Incan Jewish families from Trujillo, Peru that converted to Orthodox Judaism.

The area of Shavei Shomron is claimed by the neighboring Arab villages of Sebastia and Deir Sharaf.

Intifada & Disengagement

Like all Israeli settlers, the residents of Shavei Shomron traveled through and conducted business in Nablus and neighboring Arab villages. However, as tensions increased following the First Intifada, Israeli travel to Nablus was restricted, and new roads were built to bypass certain villages. In 2002, the Israeli Supreme Court approved the construction of part of the West Bank barrier around the community. Many local residents opposed its construction, fearing that it may become a future border between Israel and a Palestinian state. Others were concerned that an incident like the one earlier in the year, when a terrorist infiltrated the community and targeted the kindergarten with grenades and firearms before being shot by a local resident, could be repeated without such measures.

In August 2005, the community hosted mass demonstrations in opposition to the Israeli government's unilateral disengagement plan, which included the forced evacuation of four settlements to the north of Shavei Shomron, and brought a potential frontier to the settlement's backyard. Following their evacuation and demolition, the community hosted some of the former residents of Homesh and Sa-Nur.