Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conducted an extensive tour of the Western Negev on Wednesday together with Defense Minister Israel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and directors-general of government ministries, including the Acting Director-General of the Prime Minister's Office, and the directors-general of the National Security Ministry, the Settlements and National Missions Ministry, the Negev and Galilee Ministry, and the Diaspora Affairs Ministry.
The tour is part of a multi-disciplinary national effort that includes strengthening and developing the region, finalizing strategic responses for the area, and the fight against crime in the Arab sector.
At the beginning of the tour, the Prime Minister, Defense Minister, and National Security Minister went to the community of Revivim, where they observed Bir Hadaj and were briefed by Israel Police Inspector-General Kobi Shabtai, Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar, and IDF Deputy Chief-of-Staff Maj.-Gen. Amir Baram on police enforcement against the smuggling and possession of illegal weapons in the south, the significant seizures of weapons and counter-smuggling operations carried out by police forces in the area, and along the borders.
The Prime Minister and Defense Minister then visited the "Midbar Ish" farm near the community of Kmehin. The Prime Minister was briefed by the Acting Director-General of the PMO and the directors-general of the Settlements, and Negev and Galilee ministries, along with the Chairperson of the Ramat Negev Regional Council. They presented the progress in formulating the Government's five-year plan, in coordination with the Defense Ministry, for massive demographic growth and settlement distribution along the eastern and western borders, with an emphasis on the Nitzana region, as part of the civilian responses required to strengthen the borders.
The tour focused on a large-scale national plan promoted by the PMO, which includes: Strengthening the state's hold on the land; advancing plans to expand settlements and increase demographic growth; developing new employment zones; improving civilian infrastructure and addressing residents' security needs. The plan is based on inter-ministerial staff work to strengthen the borders and build a multi-dimensional national plan for the Negev.
"I am here with the National Security Minister and the Defense Minister, together with the Police Inspector-General, the IDF Deputy Chief-of-Staff, the Director of the Shin Bet, and representatives of government ministries, for one purpose - we are coming to return the Negev to the State of Israel," the Prime Minister stated.
Netanyahu explained that "this means settlement on a scale we haven’t known, and it also means providing for the Bedouin residents. But it means, first and foremost, restoring law and order. The Negev is running wild. We will rein it in, and an important operation by the Israel Police, in integration with other forces, has begun. To rein it in, we must understand that the criminal threat and the security threat have merged into one, with tens of thousands of weapons, with drones crossing borders, and other threats."
"Therefore, we will bring a national project to achieve all these goals, but primarily to restore governance to the Negev. I thank the ministers, the Inspector-General, and the Director of the Shin Bet. I thank you, Defense Minister and IDF Deputy Chief-of-Staff, for enlisting in this mission. We will succeed here just as we have succeeded in all the other things we have taken upon ourselves. This is a national mission of the highest order. This is my first visit - the first of many - as Prime Minister for this purpose," he concluded.