West Bank Settlement Controversy: Dagan Faces Criticism

Moshe Redman, a candidate for the Democrats party and a prominent figure in the anti-government protests centered at Tel Aviv's Kaplan Street, sharply criticized Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, on Monday over efforts to reestablish settlements in Samaria.

The criticism came as Dagan participated in ceremonies marking the return of communities evacuated during Israel's 2005 disengagement. Redman's attack was echoed by an editorial in Haaretz newspaper and by blogger Shmuel Meir.

Redman posted on X a photograph of Dagan alongside residents of Kadim, a settlement dismantled during the disengagement that is scheduled to be reestablished this summer. "Their achievement is our collective damage," Redman wrote. "After canceling the disengagement law, the zealous right is returning another friction point to the northern Samaria, and this time it's the isolated settlement of Kadim. No less."

Redman directed his criticism specifically at Dagan, writing: "In the picture is Yossi Dagan, a smiling and warm-hearted man but one of the most dangerous people to the continued existence of the State of Israel."

The criticism coincided with a Haaretz editorial published following a ceremony at Emek Dotan, another settlement being reestablished.

The editorial, titled "Steal as Much as You Can," featured a photograph of Dagan alongside government ministers and public figures who attended the settlement ceremony. "Israel is heading to elections, and no one is talking about the occupation," the editorial stated. "No one is talking about the Palestinian problem. No one dares to mention the two-state solution. Meanwhile, the settlers in the territories and in the government are establishing facts on the ground."

The Haaretz editorial continued: "If Israelis do not settle accounts with the current government, and do not make a 180-degree change in political approach, the next disaster is only a matter of time."

Shmuel Meir, a left-wing commentator and Haaretz blogger, also attacked Dagan, writing: "Yossi Dagan, the de facto commander of the northern West Bank, the brigade and division commanders are in a secondary position."

The criticism reflects ongoing tensions over settlement policy as Israel approaches elections, with the Samaria Regional Council, a governing body for Israeli communities in Samaria, pushing forward with plans to reestablish settlements evacuated nearly two decades ago.