MK Gideon Sa’ar (Likud) toured the Samarian community of Beit El in the Binyamin region on Sunday and met with the head of the Beit El council, Shai Alon.
Before visiting the community itself, Sa’ar headed to the archaeological excavations nearby where he learned of the ongoing projects at the site that have resulted in findings that indicate that a large Jewish community existed there during the Second Temple period. The leaders of the excavation told Sa’ar of the significance of preserving the site and of developing it, and Sa’ar gave some suggestions of his own for attracting people to visit.
The digs are located in the vicinity of 300 apartments that are at various stages of construction, on land that is among the last few plots available in Beit El. Council head Alon noted that several nearby IDF bases are also located on land slated for construction – sufficient for hundreds of housing units – and enlisted MK Sa’ar to push to have the bases moved elsewhere, freeing up the land.
Speaking with Alon, Sa’ar emphasized the importance of places like Beit El, “a community that is rooted in our tradition, in our historical right to the Land, to the very fundamentals of our faith. It’s amazing to see the construction going on here – it’s like the ladder of Jacob with its base on earth and reaching to the Heavens.”
Sa’ar promised to do what he could to advance construction, and described the government’s ongoing efforts to restrict Palestinian construction in Area C, where a tremendous amount of illegal building is going on.
“The Palestinians failed in their attempt to gain legitimacy in the international arena and isolate Israel, so they have chosen a different tactic – one no less dangerous,” he said. “They are trying to create facts on the ground by taking possession of the land, and we have to block them wherever we can – both by stopping them from building and by expanding our own communities. These are key priorities for me,” he emphasized.
Sa’ar added that, “There is a clear majority among the Jewish People today that understands the importance of settlement, understands the link between settlement of the land and national security that Menachem Begin spoke of. Today people realize that strengthening settlement enhances our security – and, of course, the opposite is also true.”
