Congratulations from the Sovereignty Movement to Minister Smotrich, to the activists, public figures, and supporters who made history, saved Shdema, and turned the place into a new community.
The Sovereignty Movement congratulates the Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, on his significant decision to promote 19 additional communities in Judea and Samaria, including the community of Shdema, over which a long and determined struggle has been waged—led by the Committee for Jewish Shdema and the parliamentary caucus established in the Knesset for a Jewish Shdema—to block a dangerous Arab territorial contiguity near Jerusalem.
At this historic moment, it is fitting to note and remember some of the leading partners in the struggle, including Members of Knesset and ministers (then and now) Avigdor Liberman, Yuli Edelstein, Ze’ev Elkin, Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan, Prof. Arieh Eldad, Orit Struck, Rabbi Meir Porush, Shuli Mualem Rafaeli, and the late Dudu Rotem.
Also deserving of appreciation and blessing are the heads of the Gush Etzion Regional Council who provided strong backing for the struggle—Shaul Goldstein, Davidi Perl, Moshe Savil, Shlomo Ne’eman, and Yaron Rosenthal, who succeeded in bringing caravans to the site.
We also note Rabbi Gideon Perl, Rabbi Yaron Durani, Rabbi Aviad Eliyahu, Israel Prize laureate Geula Cohen, Rabbanit Shulamit Melamed, journalist Haggai Huberman, Caroline Glick, social activist Ina Vinyarsky, Igor Bialsky, the Nokdim pre-military academy led by Rabbi Itamar Cohen, and the many activists from the “Women in Green” movement in Israel and around the world who contributed, donated and assisted.
We call on Minister Bezalel Smotrich to add the layer of sovereignty to the layer of settlement.
“ … and all the fields … shall be holy to the Lord; they shall not be uprooted or destroyed again forever.” (Jeremiah 31:39)
Attached is a picture of the painting Shmuel Mushnik painted years ago dreaming about the vision of Shdema turning into a Yishuv. Today the vision became reality.