The meeting with Israel Gantz.
The meeting with Israel Gantz.Credit: Spokesperson for Binyamin Regional Council

Forty-two American Jews, members of Manhattan Central Synagogue, visited Binyamin on Sunday following a tour of Ramallah and met with Regional Council head Israel Gantz.

Gantz told the visitors about the council's many challenges, emphasizing the recent security realities and the great desire to apply sovereignty over Judea and Samaria.

The discourse was loaded and revolved mainly around the desire of the Jewish-American public to understand the life of Israelis in the area. In answering questions about the future of the settlements and dealing with the challenges, Gantz replied that applying sovereignty to Area C is the only answer that would allow the possibility of taking responsibility for Judea and Samaria.

At the end of the conversation, group leader Angela Buchlad thanked the Binyamin Regional Council for an important conversation that highlighted many aspects of the settlement issue and an understanding of what life is like for the residents.

Regional Council head Israel Gantz concluded the meeting, saying, "We were delighted to host our Jewish brothers from the Manhattan community. Their strong desire to learn and understand the importance of holding on to an important piece of land like Binyamin, alongside the complex life in our area, was apparent."

"Conversations and meetings of this kind are important and necessary for the development of Judea and Samaria in general and Binyamin in particular, and we see great importance in strengthening and encouraging public awareness among our brothers in the Diaspora."

Gantz added, "We thank the members of the community who have chosen to visit us. Our dialogue is essential for strengthening our relationship and involvement with Israel. We believe that such an authentic meeting grants them the ability to take the facts of the conflict with them and explain them to anti-Israel movements in the United States."