![Israel must continue to be able to deter Hezbollah, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar stressed on Wednesday, speaking amid efforts to reach a ceasefire with Iran's Lebanese terrorist proxy. "We need to keep the freedom to act if there will be violations. And we will have to act in time, before the problem will grow," the minister told a gathering of nearly 100 foreign ambassadors in Jerusalem, the Times of Israel reported. A deal to end more than a year of fighting on the northern border must be durable, Sa'ar said, saying Jerusalem “would like to reach an agreement that will stand the test of time." He added that a ceasefire would be an "opportunity" for Lebanon to regain its sovereignty after the Israeli military severely degraded the Iranian-backed group in recent months. He called for the Lebanese Armed Forces to be strengthened and urged the international community to invest more in the economically devastated country, which is drowning in debt following years of mismanagement and corruption. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz also emphasized on Wednesday the necessity for Jerusalem to be able to act against any Hezbollah threats that may arise after a ceasefire deal is implemented. “The condition for any political settlement in Lebanon is the preservation of the intelligence capability and the preservation of the [IDF’s] right to act and protect the citizens of Israel from Hezbollah,” Katz said. Meanwhile, U.S. special envoy Amos Hochstein remained in Beirut for a second day on Wednesday to discuss "technical details" of an American ceasefire proposal with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who heads the Hezbollah-allied Amal movement. President Joe Biden's point man in the Land of the Cedars announced he would travel to Israel on Wednesday night, speaking after he made "additional progress" in a second meeting with Berri. Hochstein was scheduled to meet with Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer shortly after his arrival, followed by a tête-à-tête with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the following day. “The meeting today built on the meeting yesterday, and made additional progress,” Hochstein said. “So I will travel from here in a couple hours to Israel to try to bring this to a close if we can.” The Biden envoy added that he will work with the incoming Trump administration on ceasefire efforts, saying that he has kept the president-elect's transition team informed of progress. Hochstein described as "very productive" his meetings with Lebanese officials on Tuesday. “We have a real opportunity to end the conflict, and now is the moment to decide. We are committed to doing everything we can to work with Lebanon and Israel to end this conflict,” Hochstein said at a press conference on Tuesday. Hochstein also met on Tuesday with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, and he was scheduled to meet with Lebanese Armed Forces commander Gen. Joseph Aoun. Mikati emphasized that Lebanon’s primary objectives are achieving a ceasefire and safeguarding its sovereignty. He highlighted the need to implement international resolutions and bolster the Lebanese Armed Forces in the southern part of the country. Lebanon delivered its written response to the latest U.S. proposal on Monday. According to Ali Hassan Khalil, an aide to Berri, the response included “comments” that were “presented in a positive atmosphere.” He did not provide details on the nature of the comments, saying only that they “affirm the precise adherence to [U.N. Security Council] Resolution 1701 with all its provisions,” according to Reuters. Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said in a speech on Wednesday that the terrorist group had "read the ceasefire proposal. "We have our comments, and Nabih Berri has comments, and ours and the Lebanese government's comments are, Inshallah ['God willing'], identical," Qassem said. "We have decided not to discuss these ceasefire proposals or our comments in the media. All I will say is that Israeli is trying to obtain through negotiations what it couldn't through war." The terrorist leader vowed to “continue our efforts on the ground, whether the negotiations succeed or not. “We are confronting a savage enemy, and we will remain on the ground, no matter the cost, as we will also increase the cost for the enemy. We are facing Israeli human monsters supported by American human monsters,” threatened Qassem. Disarm and retreat Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War, stipulated that Hezbollah must disarm and retreat north of the Litani River, but was never enforced. The Litani lies some 20 miles from the Israel-Lebanon border. Its enforcement, along with Israeli freedom of operation in Lebanon should Hezbollah violate the terms of a ceasefire agreement, are the key sticking points in the current negotiations. Netanyahu emphasized during a speech in the Knesset plenum on Monday that Israel will not allow Hezbollah to “return to the state it was in on Oct. 6, 2023. “We will be required, in order to ensure our security in the north, to systematically carry out operations—not only against Hezbollah’s attacks, which could come. Even if there is a ceasefire, nobody can guarantee it will hold. So it’s not only our reaction, a preventive reaction, a reaction in the wake of attack but also the capacity to prevent Hezbollah from strengthening,” he said. Hezbollah has launched some 16,000 rockets, missiles and drones from Lebanon at Israel since joining the war in support of Hamas on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after the Gaza-based terrorist group’s massacre in southern Israel. More than 60,000 residents of northern Israel remain internally displaced due to the ongoing rocket and drone attacks from Lebanon. Seventy-six people in northern Israel have been killed by Hezbollah cross-border rocket, missile and drone attacks since the start of the war, including 31 soldiers and six foreign citizens, according to the latest data provided by the Prime Minister’s Office, updated on Sunday. In addition, 729 people have been wounded, including 497 civilians and 232 soldiers. Of these, 29 civilians and 37 soldiers were severely injured; 63 civilians and 38 soldiers were moderately injured and 405 civilians and 157 soldiers were lightly injured. Hezbollah’s leadership has been left in tatters following a series of targeted killings by Israel, including that of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut on Sept. 27. This was preceded by Israeli sabotage of Hezbollah communication devices that killed 39 people and wounded more than 3,400 members of the terrorist group. Israel has been waging a devastating aerial campaign against Hezbollah throughout Lebanon, including its stronghold of Dahieh south of Beirut. According to Israeli estimates, the terrorist group has lost most of its arsenal to the ongoing strikes. Then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in late October that Hezbollah had lost an estimated 80%-plus of its long-range rockets since the start of the war. Israel also continues to battle Hamas terrorists in Gaza. The terrorist group still holds 101 hostages in the Strip, 97 of whom were kidnapped on Oct. 7. Many of the captives are believed to be dead. Brazil summit Meanwhile, G20 leaders gathered in Rio de Janeiro for a summit put out a joint statement on Monday calling for “comprehensive” ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon. The leaders of the world’s biggest economies called for U.S. proposals to end fighting in Gaza and free the hostages, and one for Lebanon “that enables citizens to return safely to their homes on both sides of the Blue Line.” The 13-point U.S. proposal presented to Lebanese officials on Nov. 14 includes a 60-day truce, during which Lebanon would redeploy its troops along the border. The proposal also calls for Moscow to prevent Hezbollah from resupplying itself via Syrian land routes. Hezbollah would retreat north of the Litani River, with the border area then being under control of the Lebanese Armed Forces, overseen by the United States and Britain. Israeli officials are emphasizing, however, that the Israel Defense Forces must retain freedom of operation in Lebanon to thwart attempts by Hezbollah to violate the agreement and rearm and reestablish itself. A senior Israeli diplomatic official told Israel Hayom on Saturday that the IDF will retain operational freedom to respond to any security threats from across the northern border, regardless of any diplomatic arrangements. However, a source close to Hezbollah told The Washington Post that the group’s “condition for progress remains clear: Israel must be prohibited from conducting operations within Lebanese territory.” Berri emphasized at the time that any ceasefire agreement must not include the ability for Israel to attack by land, sea or air, Channel 12 reported. “Otherwise, what’s the purpose of an agreement?” he remarked. Another sticking point is Lebanon’s objection to the United Kingdom and Germany monitoring the implementation of U.N. Resolution 1701. Beirut reportedly favors the United States and France. If the ceasefire efforts fail, there are plans in the works to expand ground operations in Lebanon, an Israeli military official told the Post. Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer discussed the proposal with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump during a visit to his Florida estate earlier this month, as well as with senior Biden administration officials in Washington. Dermer also traveled to Russia to discuss the ceasefire proposal. Tehran is telling its Lebanese terrorist proxy Hezbollah that it supports ending the war against Israel, The New York Times reported over the weekend. Ali Larijani, senior adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, met with senior Lebanese officials in Beirut on Nov. 15 to discuss the matter. Two Iranians affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps told the Times that Larijani conveyed messages to Hezbollah from Khamenei that he supported the end of the war and that the regime would assist with rebuilding the terrorist group’s forces and recovering from the war.](https://jewishwebsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Gideon-Saar-1320x880-2-218x150.jpg "Sa’ar: Israel must be free to act against Hezbollah truce violations")
Israel’s Ministry of Transport and Road Safety announced this week that it has submitted an unprecedented 50 billion shekel (around $13.7 billion) budget proposal to the Ministry of Finance towards the development and improvement of transportation over the next five years.
Twenty billion shekels (about $5.5 billion) of that funding is included in the proposed 2023-2024 state budget.
At the same time, a document released by the Finance Ministry (signed by representatives of both ministries) and obtained by JNS details specific projects totaling more than 3.5 billion shekels (some $960 million) earmarked to improve transportation in Judea and Samaria.
The work in the area beyond the Green Line aims to enhance security in the face of constant terrorist threats, improve road safety and thus reduce traffic accidents— which are all too frequent on these routes—and alleviate the traffic jams.
According to reports, in certain areas the highway will be widened to three lanes in each direction, with one lane in each direction marked for public transportation.
Other projects listed in the document include a new road that will bypass the P.A. village of Al Funduq on Route 55 in Samaria—200 million shekels ($55 million); the widening of the Beit El community’s main access road—366 million shekels ($100 million); and the widening/expansion of the highway connecting Ariel to the Tapuach Junction—500 million shekels ($137 million).
The document obtained by JNS also mentions an additional allocation of half a billion shekels towards other highway infrastructure and expansion projects, without detailing the specifics.
Based partially on that supplementary budget, along with some of the project approvals detailed in the document itself, Gush Etzion Regional Council head Shlomo Neeman, who is also chairman of the Yesha Council representing Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, released a statement On Wednesday expressing his excitement that projects which the Yesha Council prioritized will now come to fruition.
Neeman recited the Shehecheyanu prayer used to celebrate special occasions and said, “This is huge news for residents of Gush Etzion and the whole region.
“I am glad to announce a real revolution in our transportation department. Our long and hard work, and that of other special people, has paid off greatly and successfully with the approval of road development plans worth unprecedented sums,” he continued.
“A big thank you to the minister of finance, Bezalel Smotrich, who made these plans a top priority for the sake of the safety of the residents here. I also congratulate and acknowledge the minister of transportation, Miri Regev, for her full cooperation that contributed to the success of the process, and for steering the ministry to focus on our area, with God’s help,” Neeman said.
“Many, many people have asked me about the true difference between this government and the previous government for our community, and with my hand on my heart, I answer that it was worth it [the governmental transition] just for this! There is a lot more to come,” he said.
Neeman detailed specific transportation projects in Gush Etzion that he hopes will now move forward.
Michaeli objects
However, not everyone is on board with earmarking funds for transportation in Judea and Samaria.
Labor Party head and former minister of transport Merav Michaeli took to Twitter to express her opposition to the proposed budget, writing:
“Bezalel Smotrich and Miri Regev are leading the ‘second-class citizens’ campaign; but at the same time, they are taking hundreds of millions from public funding to build roads that will be used mainly by the settlers. (Less than 5% of the population will receive 25% of the budget. That’s crazy).”
She added, “Make no mistake, this is mainly at the expense of investing in roads in the periphery. This is how the Likud leadership has been perpetuating the weakness of the periphery for decades.”
During her stint as minister, Michaeli froze road projects throughout Judea and Samaria, including the Huwara bypass road. Numerous terrorist attacks have taken place in the often-hostile P.A. village of Huwara, outside Nablus, in recent months, including the murder of Har Bracha residents and brothers Hallel Yaniv, 21, and Yagel Yaniv, 19, in February.
In October 2022, JNS reported that during an exchange with an audience member on Channel 12, Michaeli justified divesting from Judea and Samaria saying, “It’s a shame to invest in a place that, at the end of the day, won’t be part of Israel.”
Eve Harow, director of tourism and education for the One Israel Fund organization, which supports projects throughout Judea and Samaria, responded to Michaeli’s tweet telling JNS: “The rest of the country has vast budgets for roads. Why should we, as Israeli citizens who pay taxes and have our children conscripted, be discriminated against?
“The safer new roads along with the improved infrastructure will be utilized by Arabs and Jews alike. Is Michaeli suggesting that in order to hurt the Jewish residents we don’t build roads which will also benefit our Arab neighbors? Is she saying we shouldn’t let them drive, implying that she is pro-segregation? For shame,” Harow said.
Likud member of Knesset Dan Illouz tweeted that the proposed transportation budget represents “an amazing day towards strengthening Judea and Samaria.”
He also clarified that the budget plan also calls for the improvement of cellular service throughout Judea and Samaria, which is crucial for the security of motorists.
He told JNS, “The security situation on the roads in Judea and Samaria is problematic, and our bloodthirsty enemies are costing us precious lives. There is a huge gap between the infrastructure in Judea and Samaria and the rest of the country, which needs to be addressed through increased investment not only to close gaps but also to save human lives.
“The previous government neglected the needs of the Judea and Samaria area, including its roads. Our aim is to build and protect, and I thank Minister Smotrich, Minister [of Communications Shlomo] Karhi and Minister Regev for their work on these matters. I have called for a discussion after the [Knesset’s holiday] break to address the state of the roads in Judea and Samaria in which we will assert our commitment to ensuring the safety of the residents,” Illouz said.