14 families have moved into the newly established community of Neot Harim, located between Neve Tzuf and Nahliel in the Binyamin region. The community was officially inaugurated at a ceremony attended by government ministers, Knesset members, community leaders, and residents.
The inauguration took place exactly 30 days after Netanel Shakron was murdered in a terrorist attack at the nearby Ein Raya spring.
Binyamin Regional Council head and Yesha Council chairman Israel Ganz dedicated part of his remarks to Shakron's memory, linking the establishment of the new community to the continued development of Jewish communities in the region.
"Today, on the thirtieth day since the murder of Netanel Shakron, may God avenge his blood, as his family gathers at his graveside, our hearts are with them in their pain and longing," Ganz said.
"Precisely on this day, not far from the spring where Netanel was murdered, we are inaugurating the new community of Neot Harim and declaring loud and clear: 'By your blood, live.'"
Neot Harim is the third community established in Binyamin over the past six months and the second within just a few weeks.
According to the regional council, it is the first new community to be established in decades in the area between Neve Tzuf and Nahliel.
Council officials explained that the community is intended to strengthen the connection between Neve Tzuf and Ateret and the Dolev-Talmonim bloc, while expanding the continuity of Jewish communities between eastern and western Binyamin.
It is the second community established in western Binyamin under a broader regional development plan, which is part of the implementation of a Security Cabinet decision to establish 13 new communities in Binyamin.
The arrival of the first families was made possible by infrastructure work carried out in the area, including the construction of an approximately 3.5-kilometer access road.
The work was conducted across challenging terrain and included the preparation of essential infrastructure to enable the first families to establish their homes at the site.
The establishment of Neot Harim was preceded by the activities of two farms in the area, operated by Tzvi Bar Yosef and Tzvi Laks.
The Binyamin Regional Council noted that the farms had worked for years to maintain an Israeli presence in the area and that the new community was established as a continuation of those efforts.
During his speech, Ganz addressed the terrorists responsible for the attack and those who, in his words, seek to force Jewish residents out of the region. He declared that the establishment of Neot Harim demonstrated Israel's determination to maintain its presence there.
"To the terrorists and everyone trying to uproot us from this region, we say: You tried to murder us and make us leave, and today families are moving here to live in a new community. We are here, we have won, and we will continue to win."
"From Neot Harim, we send a clear message to anyone dreaming of dangerous expulsions and a Palestinian state overlooking the Tel Aviv metropolitan area: We will continue to deepen our roots and strengthen Israel's security," Ganz added.
Yesha Settlement Division chairman Yishai Merling also attended the ceremony, emphasizing the strategic importance of the new community's location and the work needed to support its development.
"On the map, it's a small dot, but on the ground, it's the connection that transforms the Talmonim bloc and northern Binyamin into one continuous area of Jewish communities," Merling said.
He explained that beyond infrastructure and access roads, the immediate priority is helping the families who have moved to the site establish a permanent community.
"Beyond the maps and roads, there are young families here who have chosen to build their homes on an exposed hilltop. Our mission is to pave the way for them, providing infrastructure, access roads, and buildings, so that their choice becomes a home," he said.
"The group that moved here today is the beginning of an entire community. We will accompany them every step of the way until this hilltop becomes a thriving community," Merling concluded.