Thousands of people took part Monday in the traditional Samaria march, which took place for the first time this year on Mount Eibel and the Altar of Joshua. At the end of the march there was a huge rally in which Samaria Council Mayor Yossi Dagan spoke, at the end of which singers Shuli Rand and Aharon Razel performed together with the Ahlala band. The event was produced by the Communities and Community Center Division of the Samaria Regional Council with the assistance of the Land and Tourism Department and accompanied by the IDF and the Israel Police. And there were workshops and activities for children, a huge display and guided tours of the altar.
Shuli Rand performing at Mount Ibal, Photo: Elichai Menachem
The march, which was attended by Settlement Minister Orit Struk and MK Zvi Sukkot, was held to demand the protection of archaeological sites in Judea and Samaria and to protest the attempt by the Palestinian Authority, with European Union assistance, to claim that Jewish historical sites belong to "Palestinian heritage."
Palestinians light a barbecue on the altar of Joshua || Regavim Movement
Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan spoke at the main assembly and said: "In the face of the barbaric destruction that the Palestinian Authority is trying to do here, all this in order to erase the connection of the people of Israel to its land and its roots. We stand here and we say - the people of Israel will win, living in Samaria is not only a privilege to enjoy this beautiful region, living in Samaria is also a responsibility. To preserve the sacred places of our history, to preserve civilization. We respect every nation, every human being, but the Land of Israel and the State of Israel will exercise our sovereignty here, and this place on Mount Ibal, at the altar of Joshua ben Nun, will be a heritage site befitting a central place in the history of the people of Israel, the people of eternity."
Yossi Dagan at the Altar of Joshua, Photo: Elichai Menachem
Minister of Settlements and National Missions Orit Struk: "I am here to make it clear: The Israeli government will not stand idly by. Last Sunday I raised the issue at the Cabinet meeting, and soon there will be another discussion and decisions will be made. Let it be clear: Wherever the Palestinian Authority acts contrary to its obligations under the Oslo Accords, in any such place the State of Israel must take responsibility and act on its own, and this principle certainly includes situations of destruction of heritage."
Yossi Dagan with Settlement Minister Strzok, photo: Elichai Menachem
MK Zvi Sukkot said at the rally: "Here we took upon ourselves the mutual responsibility. Unfortunately, from the day they discovered this place, the place of proof of the Exodus, the place has been abandoned. The State of Israel has abandoned the site since the Oslo Accords and named it Area B. We have a goal that there will always be continuous security of the site, and thanks to the Samaria Regional Council for organizing this event."
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