President Donald Trump’s soon-to-be-released Middle East peace plan is a “historic opportunity” for Israel, the head of the Binyamin Regional Council in Samaria claimed – while adding that the plan could also include potentially ‘dangerous’ elements.
Yisrael Gantz, the chief of the Binyamin Regional Council, wrote in a letter to council employees and residents Sunday that the Trump administration’s Middle East peace plan represents a historic opportunity for Israel to apply sovereignty to large swaths of Judea and Samaria – but also presents possible dangers for Israel.
“We are in the midst of a very important period for the settlement enterprise, for the Land of Israel, and for the State of Israel. On one hand, there is a historic opportunity to apply Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, and to fulfill the dream of generations.”
“On the other hand, we could encounter dangers which we must not agree to, such as agreeing to recognize Palestinian statehood, in one form or another.”
“Right now I’m flying to Washington to stand close by and to give voice to residents [of Binyamin] and to has as much influence as possible on what’s going on. I am travelling together with other regional council leaders from Judea and Samaria. Our goal is to give Prime Minister Netanyahu support so that he will pursue a path which will strengthen settlement and our hold in the Land of Israel.”
“During the talks with the prime minister this past few days and even today after I boarded the plane, I told him that the Binyamin [regional council] is behind him and supports actions he takes to strengthen our hold here, and I made clear to him that he has no mandate to recognize Palestinian statehood of any form. We will stand by his side so long as he sticks with us.”