Kedumim

Kedumim is located in the heart of Samaria, west of Nablus (Shechem), and serves as a significant cultural and educational hub for the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. Established in late 1975 by the Gush Emunim movement following several attempts to settle at the nearby Sebastia train station, it was the first modern Jewish community in the northern Samaria hills. The town is characterized by its strategic location along Route 55, connecting the central coastal plain to the interior of the Samaria highlands.

Over the decades, Kedumim has grown from a small group of mobile homes into a permanent local council with several distinct neighborhoods, including Mitzpe Yishai, Givat Shalem, and Kedumim Darom. It is home to thousands of residents and hosts various educational institutions, including yeshivas and schools that draw students from across the country. The community is often at the forefront of the Zionist movement's efforts to maintain a Jewish presence in the historical heartland of Israel, making it a frequent focal point for both national resilience and security challenges.

In recent years, Kedumim and its surrounding outposts and neighborhoods have faced security threats ranging from terrorist infiltrations to agricultural and environmental hazards. The area's topography, consisting of rugged hills and brush-heavy valleys, makes it susceptible to seasonal fires, which occasionally threaten residential lines. Security in Kedumim is maintained by a combination of local civilian response teams and the IDF, reflecting the broader security-first approach required for communities in the Samaria region. As a symbol of the settlement movement, Kedumim remains a key pillar of Israeli civilian infrastructure in Judea and Samaria.