Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met today (Tuesday) with the Forum of Mayors of the Conflict Line in the North, at the Regba war room in the Mateh Asher Regional Council. The prime minister heard from the heads of the local authorities about the imperative need to continue implementing the plan and budgeting for protection to the north.
The heads of the local authorities called on the prime minister to continue the fighting and not to let go until the mission is completed – the return of the hostages, security to the communities along the conflict line – personal security alongside economic security. At the end of the meeting, the prime minister was photographed with the heads of the local authorities against the background of pictures of the abductees, hoping to return them quickly.
"I'm not suggesting that Hezbollah try the State of Israel, that would be the mistake of their lives." Netanyahu at a meeting with the heads of municipalities in the north, today, photo: Amos Ben-Gershom / GPO
"I am here after an excellent, in-depth, serious and incisive meeting with the heads of municipalities in the north, here, in Moshav Regba. There is a steadfastness here for them and for the residents, who are going through difficult days, but are going through it together. I must say that this stance is an integral part of our effort to achieve the goals of the war," Netanyahu said at the end of the meeting.
"We have an orderly doctrine: Our goal is first of all a complete victory over Hamas in the south and the return of our abductees. The second thing, of course, is to ensure that the day after Hamas does not return, something Hamas-like does not return – we will ensure that too. The third thing, and no less important, is to deal with the northern sector here," he added.
Netanyahu responded to the warming of the northern sector: "In the northern sector at the moment, there is an exchange of severe blows. We are striking Hezbollah, but my instruction to the IDF is to prepare for any scenario. I am not suggesting that Hezbollah try the State of Israel – that would be the mistake of their lives. We are committed to restoring security to the citizens of Israel – both in the south and in the north. The same was done. I thank you dear friends for your fantastic stance."
Netanyahu against the background of the wall of pictures of the abductees, photo: Amos Ben-Gershom / GPO
It was important to the mayors who attended the meeting that the prime minister receive the clear message that the residents will not return as long as security on the ground is not guaranteed: "We didn't come with expectations, so we didn't leave disappointed. Netanyahu did not lay out the military plans to us. And we didn't expect him to do it either. But he understood the message that the residents of the north will not return, and we will not return them, as long as Radwan is on the fences. And he promised he would take care of it. He took note of the points we raised about the treatment of the authorities and residents and said that the teams would start working on the issue."
Moshe Davidovitch, head of the Mateh Asher Regional Council and chairman of the Confrontation Line Forum: "It is clear to me that the prime minister is leaving here strengthened that there is a real fighting spirit here with a national goal to restore the real security of our residents, knowing that with the restoration of security, a map will only grow, alongside the need to provide immediate responses to the confrontation line and its residents on the variety of urgent issues that we have raised before him."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu together with the Forum of Mayors of the Conflict Line in the North, today, Photo: Amos Ben-Gershom / GPO
Minister of the Negev, Galilee and National Resilience Yitzhak Wasserlauf sought to pass budgets while trusting the authorities: "If we want the authorities to trust the state, we need to trust them, and therefore we need to give them quick and flexible budgets and let them manage the budget, and not dictate to them what to do and how, because they know best how to manage their budget and know the problems and challenges. They will know how to solve the problems best."
The Prime Minister's meeting was joined by Minister of the Negev, Galilee and National Resilience Yitzhak Wasserlauf, Chief of Staff Tzachi Braverman, Director General of the Prime Minister's Office Yossi Shelly, Chairman of the National Economic Council Prof. Avi Simhon, Military Secretary to the Prime Minister Maj. Gen. Avi Gil, Deputy Director General of Interior, Planning and Development Hadas Schoen. Levy and representatives of the Home Front Command.
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