At the opening of a new community center in Samaria, Sport and Culture Minister Limor Livnat praised residents of the area and said that they “deserved the best” Israel had to offer. “Our most important work is in Samaria, our hearts are in Samaria,” Livnat said at the dedication of the new community center in Sha'arei Tikvah, near Ariel in central Samaria. “They deserve the best in the areas of sports and culture,” she said.
Hundreds of youths attended the event, as did town residents. Speaking to those in attendance, Livnat said that “Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu identified during his tenure as leader of the opposition before being elected to his position that surrendering any part of Samaria would be a strategic disaster, endangering Ben Gurion Airport. This was not a prophecy, but the logical conclusion of a security analysis given the situation.”
During Operation Protective Edge, Hamas's "military wing" warned foreign airlines against flying into Tel Aviv. As a result of one of those attacks, international airlines canceled flights into Israel for several days. The cancelations followed a US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ban on American carriers flying to Israel; several European companies followed suit.
Also speaking at the event was Samaria Council Chairman Gershon Mesika, who said that “the 'war' for sports is one of the most important. We at the Samaria Council see strengthening and increasing cultural and sports facilities and opportunities as a very important activity, and today the State helped us to achieve that vision.”