Judea and Samaria receives occasional VIP visits of one kind or another, but usually it is a quick visit, sometimes even by helicopter for a sortie only and back. A visit like the one made by President Isaac Herzog to Binyamin is difficult to find in its scope and the locations in which it arrived – including a visit to a settlement in the young settlement that has not yet been arranged.
The president opened the visit at the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council building, where he spoke with representatives of the community leadership, rabbis, plenum members and council members, who raised issues and challenges related to the development of the region. The president, for his part, called on them to continue their work in this amazing region, as he put it. He then continued to the settlement of Ofra, where he met with the Ulpana students and students of Lev Binyamin, which accompanies people with special needs. There, the president also participated in a prayer for the soldiers against the backdrop of Operation Shield and Arrow currently underway in Gaza.
President Herzog during the festive visit to Binyamin, photo: Rotem Uri/TPS
Michal Herzog, the president's wife, visiting Binyamin, photo: Rotem Uri/TPS
The visit, which was under a blackout, continued to the ancient Shiloh heritage site. The president and his wife watched the Tabernacle exhibit and received guidance on the spot. They planted a tree and were exposed to the latest discoveries made there. At the site, they also sat down for lunch and met veterans of the settlement in Binyamin.
The President of the State concluded his visit with a particularly interesting location – the settlement of Kida, which is part of the Shiloh bloc and a settlement in the young settlement that has not yet been settled. In bowing, Herzog was received by the children of the community at the new synagogue named after a resident of the settlement, SWAT fighter Noam Raz z"l.
SWAT soldier Noam Raz, photo: Israel Police Spokesperson's Office
"We are excited to be here and see a wonderful region," Herzog said during his visit, adding: "Here in Binyamin our ancestors passed and established roots in the heart of the Land of Israel. We are happy to have the opportunity to see a wonderful council, communities and residents with creativity and action. I congratulate my friend, Mayor Israel Gantz. This is the place to send encouragement to our brothers and sisters in the south of the country."
The head of the regional council, Binyamin Israel Gantz, also congratulated: "Binyamin is happy and proud to welcome the President of the State and his wife. We see in this visit the central place of Binyamin and the settlement in Judea and Samaria. Thanks to the heritage, thanks to the human capital of the settlement, Binyamin is growing. We thank the President for coming to visit and strengthen us to continue the development of this precious region where all shades of the spectrum live in the heart of the Land of Israel as an inseparable part of the State of Israel. From here we strengthen and pray for the well-being of the residents of the south and all residents of the country."
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