Geert Wilders, the leader of the Party for Freedom, the largest party in the Dutch parliament and government, arrived in Israel for a state visit. On Sunday, he held a lengthy meeting with Samaria Governor Yossi Dagan.
Over the past few weeks, there have been heightened tensions in Holland which was personified during two sessions of Parliament during which Wilders was attacked for his plans to visit Israel in general and Judea and Samaria in particular, and his intentions to meet with Yossi Dagan.
The night before his trip, he wrote on X: "I am proud and privileged to visit Israel for 36 hours in the next few days, meet their leaders and politicians and visit beautiful Judea and Samaria where I used to live for some time in the eighties."
Wilders and Dagan opened the morning with a lookout near the seamline over Israel's small width, demonstrating the security importance of Samaria for the rest of Israel. Later, Wilders met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, Defense Minister Israel Katz, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, Energy Minister Eli Cohen, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, and Science and Technology Minister Gila Gamliel.
At the strategic lookout, Dagan explained to Wilders the strategic security importance of Jewish presence in Samaria. The two looked out over Israel's "small waist." Dagan told Wilders: "Between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River there are only 70 kilometers, with the Samarian Mountains that overlook the area taking up 55 kilometers and the area between the sea and the green line that runs under the mountains is only 15 kilometers." Wilders replied that it is indeed "a very small area," and added: "Not everyone understands this, but I understand."
Dagan emphasized: "The Jewish settlements of Judea and Samaria are not just historic justice, they are the protective vest of the State of Israel. Without Jewish settlement in Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley, we couldn't have the State of Israel. After October 7th we must stand together. We have the same values, our enemies - the barbaric terrorists - define us even more. We must stand together!"