Five senior Democratic members of Congress currently in Israel on a J Street-led delegation met with Mohammad Shtayyeh, a top Palestinian Authority leader, prior to meeting Binyamin Regional Council Head Israel Gantz.
Congress members Melanie Stansbury, Rosa DeLauro, Barbara Lee, Mondaire Jones, and Mark Pocan, all from the Democratic party, toured Jerusalem and Ramallah, involving themselves with issues concerning the Israel-Palestinian Authority conflict.
On Wednesday, Israel Gantz hosted the five at the Binyamin Regional Council building, briefing them on the challenges of the settlements, and presenting them with facts, photos, and real-time data.
The meeting was held after Gantz himself returned from a trip to the US, where he met with members of the US Congress.
In the meeting, Gantz summarized the difficulties in developing infrastructure, and spoke about how the freeze creates severe shortages, even in the most humanitarian issues such as supplying water to both Jews and Arabs in the region.
On the issue of roads, he said, "There is a severe shortage here of developed roads. It doesn't matter what color licenses plates your vehicle has, we all travel on the same awful roads, which haven't been taken care of for 40 years already."
"There are many accidents, because the roads are not appropriate to the size of the population. There is no place in the world where the population grew for three decades, but the infrastructure has remained the same - and the ones who lose out are the Jews and Arabs who live here. I work a lot to develop roads and find solutions for the traffic challenges, and by doing this I also help the Arabs. So why make things difficult for us?"
The Council Head also discussed climate change, and presented footage of systematic pollution on the part of the Palestinian Authority. He also showed photos and video clips of burning plastic, polluting rivers, and harming the mountain's aquifer.
Gantz also said that after the murder of Yanai Weissman in February 2016, he decided to initiate the founding of a medical center at Sha'ar Binyamin, to serve all residents of the area.
"I need to travel to raise money for it myself, because it's a 'sensitive issue,'" he said.
The members of Congress took interest in these challenges, asking about the complexity and routines of daily life in an area which they called "controversial." Gantz explained that the larger political questions do not connect with, and even contradict, the daily challenges, both of Jews and Arabs. Those who wish to have an influence and be of aid, he said, must be intimately familiar with what happens on the ground.
"I am here in order to develop the area," he said. "My grandmother is a Holocaust survivor, and I feel that I am her continuation, here, on this land, in the heart of the Land of Israel."
Nadav Tamir, Executive Director of J Street Israel: “All the delegations that we bring to Israel, whether of Congressmen, activists, students or others, are always exposed to the spectrum of opinions in the Israeli public arena. Our objective is to enable our guests to obtain a full picture of Israeli society and its various complexities. This is why we made sure to hold this important meeting with Binyamin Regional Council Governor Israel Ganz.”
Eliana Passentin, Director, International Desk, Binyamin Regional Council: "I appreciate the opportunity to show life as it is, daily concerns, the reality on the ground here in Binyamin. I hope that our guests appreciate the unique opportunity they've had to see our lives up close, and to learn from a first-hand experience. It is my hope that many more delegations like this will follow – we eagerly await them and will be happy to host them in the future."
Ruthie Lieberman, Political Advisor to the Governor: "Our work is important because it connects people. Issues such as the road systems and protecting the environment are very much on the table, yet most leaders have not met residents of Judea or Samaria or visited to see for themselves. If guests return home simply asking, ‘What else can I learn?’ that is enough for now. If they realize the solutions are more complicated than they look from Washington, we are happy to welcome delegations for more dialogue and to spend time together here."
"We were able to meet with both Democrats and Republicans last week in DC. Binyamin Regional Council Governor Israel Ganz discussed local challenges and the opportunity to better the lives of all the residents of this region. I hope our guests understand they have a chance to work for real peace and quality of life rather than continue getting bogged down with the larger questions – while people here live their lives in relative harmony."