Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Photo: Screenshot.

JNS.org – While attending a special ceremony Monday evening marking 50 years since the Six-Day War and Jewish settlement in the West Bank, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to never again “uproot” settlements.

The “Lights of the Jubilee” event, organized by the Samaria Regional Council, took place in the Barkan Industrial Park and was attended by thousands.

“This is the inheritance of our forefathers, this is our country,” Netanyahu said. “We came back here to stay forever. There will be no more uprooting of settlements in the land of Israel.”

“We uprooted settlements, and what did we get? We got missiles,” he said. “That will no longer be the case….In defiance of those who want us to uproot — we will deepen our roots, build, strengthen and settle.”

Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett, the leader of the HaBayit HaYehudi party, said, “The prime minister spoke about not uprooting settlements and I want to say — do not uproot the rooted, but if you did then replant that which you uprooted.” He added that the Israeli government must build “more neighborhoods and more new settlements.”

An official Israeli government ceremony marking the same events from 1967 will take place in the Kfar Etzion community on Sept. 13.