Samaria Regional Council chairman Yossi Dagan responded Thursday to criticism of a news piece on the tourism industry in Samaria, comparing it to the BDS movement.
"We are happy to continue to cause high blood pressure, especially for the far-left whiners," Dagan told Arutz Sheva. "These delusional 'TV reviews' are hallucinatory BDS-style political theater."
According to him, the television criticism "represents a handful of troublemakers from the extreme left, ridiculous and hateful people who represent the minority even of the extreme left in Israel."
"Judea and Samaria deserves fair coverage just like any other place in the country," he added. "In practice, despite the sourness sown by a handful of people, the people of Israel point with their feet and travel in Judea and Samaria. This happens because of the amazing landscapes, the tranquility, the springs, the historical roots and the diverse attractions."
Following a profile of the flourishing tourism industry in Samaria by Channel 13 News correspondent Dana Nahum Herman, the profile was strongly criticized by Yediot Aharonot TV critic Einav Schiff.
"The pleasant music accompanied Nahum-Herman while she received a tour of the B&B in Yitzhar (including a Jacuzzi, not to worry)," he wrote, among other things: "Then she goes on to interview a couple of vacationers, who were just enjoying some shakshuka for breakfast. 'But aren't you at least a little bit worried?' "She asked them. The man replied that the intersections brought up 'such connotations of wow, there was a terrorist attack here and there', but after the Tapuach junction the landscape has already done its thing."
According to Schiff, "In the next section, the reporter mentioned the 'sensitive security situation', but stated that it 'does not deter the Israeli tourist from arriving.' Figures? Data? Measures? Who cares when the music raises morale ".
He added: "One does not have to support going back to the '67 lines to expect a reasonable discussion,about the connection between the issue of the territories and the effort to market them as the 'Tuscany of Israel.' On the other hand, with such articles who needs annexation?"