Ariel
is the "capital of Samaria" and an "indisputable" part of Israel,
pledged Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Friday afternoon just
after he planted a tree in the fourth largest settlement city in the
West Bank.
The
move comes in the midst of stalled peace talk with the Palestinians who
have insisted they will not resume negotiations with Israel until it
stops building in settlements.
Israel
has imposed a 10-month moratorium on new settlement construction. But
this week, in honor of the Tu B'Shvat holiday which celebrates the new
year for trees, Netanyahu visited settlements for the first time since
he took office late last March.
On
Sunday, he planted a tree in the Gush Etzion settlement bloc in Kfar
Etzion and in the settlement city of Ma'ale Adumim. On Friday, he came
to Ariel accompanied by Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman, Knesset Speaker
Reuven Rivlin and National Security Adviser Uzi Arad as well as Likud
MKs Danny Danon, Ophir Akunis and Tzipi Hotovely.
"Everyone
who understands the geography of Israel know how important Ariel is. It
is the heart of our country. We are here where are forefathers were,
and we will stay here," said Netanyahu who added that the area was
important from a both from a security and historic point of view, said
Netanyahu.
He
promised Ariel that it could complete a cultural center in the city to
support its growing intellectual life that is fed by the Ariel
University Center of Samaria that is also located in that city.
He said that some of Israel's Arab neighbors had made peace with the Jewish state and that he hoped others would follow suit.
"We want to co-exist with our neighbors, but we can't stop our lives here," Netanyahu said.
"We
will continue to build. I came here after I was in Ma'ale Adumim and in
Gush Etzion where we planted trees. We said in a clear way that we will
stay in these areas in any future final status agreement with the
Palestinians. We need to help it develop," said Netanyahu.
"These
areas will be an integral part of Israel and I say the same thing today
in Ariel, the capital of Samaria," said Netanyahu.
As
part of the ceremony for Netanyahu in Ariel, he was joined on the stage
by Adva Anter 15, of Ariel who noted that both she and the prime
minister came from bereaved families.
Netanyahu,
she said, had lost his brother Yoni who was killed when he lead an IDF
mission to the Entebee airport in in 1976 to rescue hostages. She lost
two of her brothers in the 2002 terror attack against an Israeli hotel
in Kenya.
"I
am asking God to give you the strength and the ability to ensure our
future here in Ariel, that like the tree you planted, our roots will be
here in Ariel forever," she said.
Netanyahu
said that her story showed the difference between and their enemies,
"They have come to destroy and we have come to build. May you continue
to sprout roots here in the land," he said.
Netanyahu
said that her story showed the difference between and their enemies,
"They have come to destroy and we have come to build. May you continue
to sprout roots here in the land," he said.