Construction in Ariel, Samaria
Construction in Ariel, SamariaFlash 90

Shomron Regional Council head Yossi Dagan speaking Monday on Arutz Sheva praised Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for his remarks spoken during yesterday's joint press conference with US President Donald Trump.

"Finally the Palestinian state solution has been dropped from the agenda. I am convinced that the conference we held this week, by the initiative of "My Likud" and National Headquarters, in which Likud ministers and the Knesset Speaker participated and where we demanded removing the two-state solution from the agenda, contributed to the Prime Minister's understanding that any promises referring to the two-state solution would not be accepted by the Likud."

Dagan argues that despite Trump's statement on restraining settlement activity, the result should be exactly the opposite: "Yesterday we saw at the press conference exactly what we've been saying: With Trump's election, the ball comes back to Israel's court. I learned yesterday that even if Trump disagrees with us on some things he will not impose upon us and will allow us to do what we want."

"Trump said explicitly that the parties will have to decide. It's true he blurted an unclear remark about settlement and I certainly estimate that Trump will even condemn us once in a while on building and it's really not so bad. It is clear that the United States will always be in the middle because they have interests with Russia, Qatar, and China, but while during the Obama regime the US was in the middle of the road with a tendency towards supporting the Palestinians, this time the tendency is to support the Jews."

He said that with the Prime Minister's return to Israel, the expectation in Judea and Samaria is for a massive resumption of construction and beginning steps towards sovereignty. "The ball is in Jerusalem's court today more than ever and we must not be remiss, we must remove obstacles to construction, build new communities and apply sovereignty."

"Netanyahu has an historic opportunity for a building bonanza in Judea and Samaria. Yesterday we saw an American president state his position without intent to impose on Israel. Trump will not fight and will not be obsessive, so today there's an opportunity to make history. And also today, as during Obama's time, we must say that we are not a protectorate of the United States, we are an independent sovereign state that must do what is best for itself."

Dagan estimates that Trump will not hinder Israel from applying Judean and Samarian sovereignty: "The US will always talk about an agreement that involves withdrawal, they will always try to pull us left but everyone knows that Trump's political apparatus consists of friends of Israel and at a time like this the Prime Minister can take historical measures. The Palestinian issue is perhaps the last topic that interests them, they are really not interested in it; they're pretty sick of it."

The Mayor of the Samaria Council also has a firm message for the Prime Minister: "We know, as always, of the need to be vigilant and with this we urge the Likud ministers not to take steps that will harm settlement in the heart of the Land of Israel - Jerusalem, Judea, or Samaria. We will stand as a bulwark and ensure the return to establishing communities and applying sovereignty on the Golan Heights."