Yesterday (Sunday) close to 200 initial weapons were handed out to security response teams in the Samaria Regional Council, and the acquisition of all 300 firearms for the Council is set to be finalized in the coming days. The purchase is being done in coordination with and the approval of the Interior Ministry, and in full coordination with the IDF and Defense Ministry.
The distribution of weapons was done a week after the precedent-setting actions of Samaria Council Head Yossi Dagan, who purchased weapons with millions raised from donations by friends of Samaria around the world.
The weapons themselves are Arad assault rifles (based on the AR-15, for fighting in built-up areas), used by Police and other special forces and purchased from Israel War Industries or IWI. 100 additional assault rifles were also purchased from the Emtan Karmiel company. Yesterday, close to 200 of the first rifles acquired were distributed, and more than 100 more will be handed out in the coming days.
Dagan said this at the event handing out rifles to security response team members: “We stand together in an iron fist, united and collected. We give our part in protecting the settlements in Samaria and are thus part of the victory, of the State of Israel.”
“What happened, will never happen again. We will protect Samaria, we will protect the State of Israel and there is complete enlistment in all the settlements in North Samaria, Central Samaria, the Hill Ridge, Kaneh Bloc, Maaravah Bloc, Te’einim, everywhere, in Kedma. We are here standing for our lives and also for the honor of the People of Israel.”
Dagan thanked the friends of Samaria in Europe and the United States who donated millions of shekels to acquire the weapons: “I would like to thank the friends of Samaria from around the world – from Miami, Manhattan, Los Angeles, Paris, London, everywhere they have accompanied us and helped us for years. And now they enlisted, opened their hearts with many millions, to help with weapons, protective means and combat means. We are Jews! We are not afraid and we will defeat these barbarians with God’s help.”
Binyamin Horgan, who lost his wife Esther in a cruel attack and joined the security response team in his settlement of Tal Menasheh, thanked the Council for buying the weapons: “I want to thank all the donors, Yossi Dagan, and the whole Samaria Regional Council from the bottom of my heart, for seeing to equipment allowing us to protect the settlements, our families, and our state. We have gathered here, civilians and soldiers as one to win; we will not let these barbarians do as they wish. Thank you for all your support. Thanks to you, we can protect our home and families.”
