Members of the regional councils and heads of communities in Samaria took part in a festive Sukkot event held at the sukkah of the Samaria Regional Council Head, Yossi Dagan, and his wife Oriya.
Deputy Head of the Samaria Regional Council Davidi Ben-Zion, MK Itamar Ben-Gvir (Otzmah Yehudit), MK Nir Barkat (Likud), and philanthropist Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Gutnick, joined Dagan, giving speeches at the event in Shavei Shomron.
Barkat spoke about American perceptions of the security situation in Israel: "I was mayor of Jerusalem for several years. I went through a series of terror waves in the city on a scale that few people know about. It fascinated me to think outside the box – to determine how we can strengthen the Land of Israel. I hope I know how to convince Americans of the rightness of our way. But as of today, the American administration believes in the two-state solution. That includes some Republicans. And I ask our American friends - would you prefer Shechem (Nablus) to look like Gaza or Dubai? I have told them that there is no successful Arab democratic state. There is no such thing in the Arab world."
Ben-Gvir also spoke, turning attention to the functioning of the leadership of Samaria and the settlements: "I am proud to be friends with Yossi and I am equally proud to see the wonderful work that is taking place here in Samaria, I know many heads of councils, mayors and local government officials. But there is only one Yossi Dagan. And we know how it works: with all due respect to the front lines, there always needs to be someone who pushes from behind, and when I see the leaders of the precious settlements here, I know the secret of Yossi's success; it is you, his partners, who walk with him through fire and water. Each of you could have invested in yourselves and your families, but I know what motivates Yossi because this is what motivates me and Nir, and David, and each of us here -- the great love for Israel. We cannot be here without being a light for the generations that come after us.''
Ben Gvir continued: "I hope that in three weeks we will establish a government that will support you in construction, in security, and above all: to be the owners of the State of Israel. Happy Holidays."
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Gutnick said that it was a privilege for him to stay in the sukkah together with people with such great devotion: "The people who live in this place are the ones who build the Land of Israel for the future. As a follower of the Chabad Rebbe, I know how much the Rebbe wanted the settlements to continue with determination, so I am very happy to be here.” Rabbi Gutnick talked about bringing in millions of people who understand the importance of building Judea and Samaria, who understand the importance of the entire Land of Israel, and the importance of bringing more Jews here.
Samaria Regional Council Head, Yossi Dagan, said that he is "full of appreciation and admiration for all the work of settlement leaders throughout the year, especially in this period of security tension and a wave of terrorism. Your leadership is evident in everything, and most important of all, are the abilities demonstrated by the settlement heads and the residents. The Samaria leadership constitutes the spearhead of the settlement movement and identity issues that are currently shaking Israel up in this fateful period."
At the beginning of his remarks, Dagan mentioned Sgt. Ido Baruch, who was killed in a shooting attack near Shavei Shomron at the beginning of the holiday: "For me, he is like one of our residents, he is part of the Samaria family. There is no difference between a resident and a soldier. This is our story and we are engaged in a tremendous existential war. It is not only in this particular region, but in all of Samaria, in the whole country. We will fight like lions, responsibly, together, and with God's help we will win. We pray for the success of IDF soldiers and commanders and strongly demand the government support us."