The head of the Samaria Council, Yossi Dagan, signed an arms deal for the purchase of hundreds of improved assault rifles to reinforce the defensive squads in the council’s settlements, with millions of dollars in donations he raised from friends of Samaria abroad.
Dagan said at the signing of the arms deal: “Together, we are an iron fist! We strengthen the defensive squads and will stand together and defend Samaria and the entire State of Israel.”
After a fundraising blitz Dagan led over the past three days among the friends of Samaria abroad, and after mapping the needs of the settlements in coordination with the IDF and the security apparatus, on Wednesday, Samaria Regional Council Head Dagan signed a deal for the purchase of 200 improved IWI ARAD assault rifles designed for the infantry, special forces, and law enforcement units.
In the coming days, the Samaria Council will purchase more weapons and means of combat and defense.
In recent years, the Samaria Regional Council has concentrated its efforts on developing foreign relations, and Dagan traveled several times together with the council’s foreign relations team to the US and European countries to lead an awareness campaign in Congress and the European parliaments, as well as establishing friendship groups for Samarian communities with Jewish women around the world in support of projects in Samaria. Over the past three years, the Friends of Samaria have contributed to and supported building synagogues and other community projects.
Indeed, the friends of Samaria around the world opened their hearts and pockets and pledged millions of dollars to strengthen the security in the settlements of Samaria. Among other things, the Friends of Samaria from New York, Miami, Toronto, and Paris, as well as the Haredi coalition Brothers in the Home Front, contributed to the purchase of the weapons.
At the same time, the Samaria Regional Council is working to reinforce the settlements with appropriate equipment for various scenarios and to expand the defensive squads in the settlements. The squads are trained regularly while conducting a daily security situation assessment within the regional security headquarters for the settlements.
The Samaria Regional Council is allowed to purchase weapons as an approved enterprise, like all the municipalities in Israel. The Council was helped in purchasing this large quantity of rifles by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir who agreed to speed up the approvals.
“The rifles will immediately reach the defensive squads, and their operation will be fully coordinated and directed by the IDF, together with the security coordinators of the settlements and the security division of the Samaria Regional Council, to protect the security of the citizens of Samaria and the entire State of Israel,” Dagan said.
