Yaalon: Working With Palestinians Helps Prevent Terror

On a tour of towns in Shomron, Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said that despite challenges, settlement in the region was thriving, and the government was making every effort to assist, given the limitations imposed by diplomatic concerns. On a visit to Kedumim in central Shomron, Yaalon said that he was pleased to see how the town had developed and grown.

“We have many challenges that cannot be dismissed,” said Yaalon. “We are promoting settlement in Shomron even in the face of those challenges, by building roads and other projects for the benefit of all residents.”

Despite incidents like Monday’s terror attack in Yerushalayim, Yaalon said that coexistence was still an important objective. “We need to differentiate between the terrorists and the rest of the population. We must continue to work with Palestinians in industrial zones in Yehudah and Shomron, and not impose closures where we can avoid doing so. These are things that are good for us. We need to operate from our heads, not our emotions.

“The more we work with the Palestinians, the better,” he said. “They know they need things from us, and that these goals can be achieved only with dialogue, not on the world stage at places like the U.N. Cooperation in work, infrastructure, and security are things that have and will continue to prove themselves.”