Five extra-parliamentary groups have been engaged in recent weeks in putting together a group of activists, in order to re-inhabit the West Bank settlement of Homesh, evacuated during the disengagement from the Gaza Strip and the northern West Bank in August 2005. The project is planned to take place in two weeks' time.

The activists planning the operation are residents evacuated from the former northern West Bank settlements of Homesh and Sa-Nur. Some thousand right-wing activists held a candle lighting ceremony at the site of Homesh last Hanukka. The event was partially coordinated with the security forces.

The organizations involved in the re-inhabitation of Homesh are Komemiut, Meginei Eretz, Halev Hayehudi, Mateh Tzafon, and Professors for a Strong Israel. A memorandum circulated among the activists said "the return to Homesh will not be handed to us on a silver platter. Homesh is a nightmare for the government."

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"The struggle might be long, but we must persevere and cannot back down. Our task is to now recruit as many people as possible - youth, families, adults - by the scores; to prepare each person's plans ahead of the Passover, so that they include the return to Homesh, and to persuade as many people as possible to join in."

"The removal of chametz, to which we are obligated, and the preparations for the Passover cleanup, include the removal of evil and wickedness of the retreat from our lands," the memorandum said.