Three years after residents were expelled from their homes and the community destroyed, Assaf Goldberg and Shlumit Kirschenbaum held their wedding in the former northern Shomron Jewish community.

While Defense Minister Ehud Barak only approved the request this week, the couple, both active in “Chomesh Techila”, set the venue weeks ago after announcing their engagement.

Hundreds of guests took part in the simcha, including MK (National Union) Prof. Aryeh Eldad and Shomron Regional Council head Gershon Mesika.

Spearheading the political pressure on the defense minister to approve the move was MK (Likud) Yuli Edelstein, who was assisted by a number of colleagues.

Yossi Dagan recalls, “three years ago to the day, almost the same hour, they dragged me from my land in SaNur” a community adjacent to Chomesh which was also eliminated by Ariel Sharon. “If someone would have told me then that we would attend a wedding here three years later, I would not have believed him” adds Dagan, an activist in “Chomesh Techila” as well.

“A fourteen month Jewish presence in Chomesh and the wedding are proof that one can indeed overcome cruel political policies,” he concluded.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)