Sa-Nur

Sa-Nur (Hebrew: שא-נור, lit. 'Flame Carrier') is an Israeli settlement in the northern West Bank, just north of the Palestinian towns of Silat ad-Dhahr and Fandaqumiya, under the administrative jurisdiction of Shomron Regional Council.[1]
This community was established in 1977 by the Gush Emunim movement and given its name after consultation with songwriter Naomi Shemer[2]. Sa-Nur shares its name with Sanur, a nearby Palestinian community.
The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.[3]
Unilateral disengagement

In September 2005 its 105 residents were evicted and Israel Defense Forces soldiers began dismantling Sanur as part of Israeli disengagement from Gaza.[4] Prior to its demolition, Sa-Nur was home to 43 families.[5] The demolition of Sa-Nur and Homesh marked the end of the central part of the disengagement plan.[6] The only remaining structure, a synagogue, was buried.[7]
Attempts to rebuild
Since the demolition, religious Zionist groups have attempted to return to Sa-Nur, in order to rebuild the community. On 8 May 2008, following a permitted Independence Day rally in Homesh, a group of 150 set off at night for Sa-Nur, including many former residents.[5]
On 30 July 2015, marking the 10 year anniversary after the evacuation, 250 people, made up of 20 former families, attempted to resettle in Sa-Nur, before being forcibly evicted by the Israel Defense Forces.[8][9]
In late July 2018, 200 Jewish settlers, supported by Bayit Yehudi MKs Shuli Mualem and Bezalel Smotrich, revisited the area as part of a plan to challenge the Disengagement Plan which led to the settlement's dismantlement.[10]
Reestablishment
In May 2025, the government's Security Cabinet approved the reestablishment of Sa-Nur, along with the formerly dismantled settlement of Homesh, as well as the establishment of 20 other new settlements.[11] The settlement was reestablished with caravans and a military base in 2026.[12][13]
In July 2026, Sa-Nur hosted its highest profile foreign visitor to date, Dutch politician Geert Wilders.[14]
See also
References
- ↑ About the Council- general background Archived 2007-11-06 at the Wayback Machine Shomron Regional Council
- ↑ עוז ישראל שוורץ (2024-09-24). "בהתייעצות עם נעמי שמר: כך נבחר שם היישוב שא-נור" [After consulting with Naomi Shemer: this is how the name of the settlement Sa-Nur was chosen.] (in Hebrew). Сругим.
- ↑ "The Geneva Convention". BBC News. 10 December 2009. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
- ↑ Q&A: The Gaza Withdrawal CTV, 12 September 2005
- 1 2 Thousands at Homesh; Dozens Attempt to Rebuild Sa-Nur Israel National News May 9, 2008
- ↑ Israel completes settler withdrawal plan CNN, 23 August 2005
- ↑ "IDF 'Buries' Synagogue in Evacuated Settlement of Sa-Nur" – via Haaretz.
- ↑ "Security Forces Begin Eviction in Sa-Nur". Israel National News. July 30, 2015.
- ↑ "Security forces evacuated settler families from Sa-Nur". The Jerusalem Post.
- ↑ Elisha Ben-Kimon, 'Settlers mark 13 years to evacuation with return to Sa-Nur', Ynet, 24 July 2018.
- ↑ "Gov't approves establishment of 22 new West Bank settlements". Jerusalem Post May 29, 2025.
- ↑ "בעיצומה של המלחמה: קרוואנים ראשונים בהתנחלות שפונתה ב-2005 - תיעוד". ynet.co.il. 2026-03-17.
- ↑ "חוזרים הביתה: זה הבסיס שצה"ל נטש וצפוי לחזור לפעילות". c14.co.il. 2026-02-26.
- ↑ "Geert Wilders visits family of IDF soldier killed in Samaria terror shooting". JNS July 27, 2026.
External links
32°20′14″N 35°12′7″E / 32.33722°N 35.20194°E
- ↑ "Families return to the evacuated West Bank settlement of Ganim 21 years later". ynetnews. 2026-08-13.
- ↑ Ben Kimon, Elisha (September 1, 2025). "Two decades after Gaza disengagement, first kindergarten opens in Homesh settlement". Ynetnews. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
- ↑ "New homes erected in evacuated settlement in preparation for repopulation this summer". The Times of Israel. 6 August 2026. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
- ↑ "בעיצומה של המלחמה: קרוואנים ראשונים בהתנחלות שפונתה ב-2005 - תיעוד". ynet.co.il. 2026-03-17.
- ↑ "חוזרים הביתה: זה הבסיס שצה"ל נטש וצפוי לחזור לפעילות". c14.co.il. 2026-02-26.