Arutz Sheva spoke with John Solsvik, a journalist from Norway who took part in Tuesday’s briefing with Minister of Information and Diaspora Yuli Edelstein in the community of Beit Arye in Samaria.
Solsvik said that, unfortunately, he does not believe that a tour of foreign journalists in the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria could have much of an effect beyond their own personal opinons.
“[The tour] is an informative and interesting view from the Israeli side, but I don’t think it will change anything on the ground, such as what the Palestinians are going to do next week in the United Nations,” he said.
Solsvik acknowledged that tours like this can open up the eyes of foreign journalists into the conflict between Israelis and Arabs.
“It gives a more in-depth view into the situation,” he said. “We see what the situation is like for the settlers, and in that way it is very interesting, but I do not think it will change anything.”
He said that he believes that international journalists have an “understanding” for the PA’s plan to ask for a state in the UN, and that most of them do not pay attention to the Israeli side of the story.
“They have mostly just conveyed the Palestinian side,” he said. “It’s also necessary to listen to the Israeli side and the Israeli view.”