Three settlement leaders have announced that they will not be attending a regularly scheduled meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he has been holding up settlement expansion and making empty promises.
Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, Binyamin Regional Council head Yisrael Gantz, and Kiryat Arba Local Council head Eliyahu Liebman sent Netanyahu a letter outlining their complaints.
"In the past few months, we in the settlements have experienced major terrorist attacks that killed Kim Levengrond-Yehezkel, Ziv Hajbi, the newborn Amiad Yisrael Ish-Ran from Alon Moreh, Sgt. Yosef Cohen, and Staff Sgt. Yovel Mor Yosef – may their blood be avenged – and many others were wounded," they wrote.
"In meetings with the prime minister and his staff, we have made the following demands: that the 400 million shekels [$106 million] to the security budget for Judea and Samaria be reinstated; that the soldiers moved elsewhere be redeployed; that security checkpoints be reinstated; and that terrorist attacks be met with a fitting Zionist response of more settlement.
"Unfortunately, most of our demands were denied through evasiveness or runarounds. We are expected to give in and be thankful for a few construction plans, some of which are not even new and can in no way be seen as a real breakthrough."
The remaining settlement leaders invited to the meeting with Netanyahu said they would attend as planned. Several expressed disapproval of the decision by the three men not to go.
Efrat Local Council head Oded Ravivi said the decision to boycott the meeting was "rude" and "harms the settlements."
"The attempt to force his [Netanyahu's] hand because of the upcoming election disrespects us. When the prime minister issues an invitation, you go. People who object to boycotts shouldn't boycott," Ravivi said.
Shay Alon, head of the Beit El Local Council, said he would attend the meeting.
"We, the residents of Judea and Samaria, who are battling boycotts, cannot boycott a meeting with the prime minister. I suggest that all heads of Judea and Samaria local councils join together to come to the meeting with the prime minister. Our strength lies in unity," Alon said.
The Council of Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria issued a formal response criticizing the boycott decision.
"The Yesha Council absolutely rejects the settler leaders' boycott of the meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. We do not boycott the prime minister," the council said in a statement.
"The Yesha Council and the heads of local councils will arrive for the meeting with the prime minister as planned. We expect the prime minister to respond to our justified demands. We will talk with him and present our demands. That is how we ensure the future of the settlements."
The Prime Minister's Office said the meeting with settler leaders would be held as scheduled and that "leaders of local settlement councils who are interested in discussing ways of strengthening settlements for the sake of their residents will attend."
