Every time I am in Kiryat Shmona, I think of the principle that guided Joseph Trumpeldor and his heroic comrades, after whom the city of Kiryat Shmona [Town of the Eight] is named. During the days of the Battle of Tel Hai, 106 years ago, they said: ‘For the place shall not be abandoned, and that which is built shall not be surrendered.’

We, who follow in their footsteps, will not surrender Kiryat Shmona under any circumstances – not the location, not the buildings, and not the wonderful people who are the pillar of the Galilee Panhandle. This is Kiryat Shmona.

I want to add that even before the Battle of Tel Hai, my grandfather, the late Rabbi Nathan Mileikowsky-Netanyahu, arrived in the north of the country. He was in Rosh Pinna, and later in Safed. He was an educator. He looked out from the top of Mount Canaan in Safed over the Galilee Panhandle and was deeply moved by us making the ‘Land of the Prophets’ bloom.

So we, the Government, are convening today here, in the Land of the Prophets, Kiryat Shmona, to bring a great vision for the North. We are bringing an immediate plan for the reconstruction of the North – and not just reconstruction, but also the development and growth of Kiryat Shmona, Shlomi, and Metula.

This will be manifested in the distribution of grants to businesses and residents, and the allocation of greater resources for housing, industry, medicine, and transportation. This is the first stage. Discussion of the second stage will follow, in just 45 days. The sum we are talking about here is 400 million NIS. And soon, as will be detailed in this meeting, it will be billions of NIS. We have an immense commitment to the North.

The transportation revolution we have led over the last two decades across the country is now here, and it will arrive with even greater momentum in Kiryat Shmona and its surroundings. We are connecting the entire country via highways, railways, interchanges, bridges, tunnels. And today, I am adding the airport that will open in the near future.

Years ago, some would ask, with a bitter smile: ‘Why is the city called Kiryat Shmona?’ They probably hadn’t heard much about Trumpeldor, and their answer was: ‘Four hours to get there, four hours to get back.’ Actually, it was five – that was the time it took to travel from the center of the country to Kiryat Shmona and to return. Well, that reality no longer exists. We have increased the accessibility of Kiryat Shmona and the nearby communities beyond measure. We are changing things.

We are carrying out a transportation revolution, and we will connect Kiryat Shmona, including by rail; this entire thing will change. Because we see, in my vision, that it’s not just that the residents will return. Most have returned. There is still a portion that should return and can return if they wish. We are bringing new residents. We will bring young couples. We will open a university here. We will open high-tech enterprises here. We will do tremendous things here. People will come to this beautiful place and to the Galilee in general. And this is what will happen. I am being recorded, and you will check me on this. This is what will happen. The population will grow, and the opportunities here will increase.

I believe the university will be a very important anchor here. Education Minister Kisch, I am certain it will be an excellent university, so please invest all the necessary resources for it to develop and grow even faster.

The entire Government is committed to Kiryat Shmona and the border-adjacent communities. I think this commitment stems from the experience each of us has had with the residents of Kiryat Shmona. Throughout the years, the residents of the North have demonstrated extraordinary resilience. Katyusha rockets were fired here. Kiryat Shmona and the surrounding communities stood firm against repeated terrorist attacks, including the years of Katyusha fire from Lebanon.

During the War of Redemption, the residents of the North showed astounding strength of spirit, and they gave us the tailwind to act with full force to remove the Hezbollah threat and bring a turning point to the campaign. The government is committed not only to the development of the North, but also to ensuring the security of the residents. There is no containment or leniency; we are acting against every threat in real-time and on an ongoing basis – and we will continue to do so.

I wish to thank Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and his team, Minister Elkin, Minister Wasslauf, and the Director General of the Prime Minister’s Office, Drorit Steinmetz, who worked together to bring this plan forward.

And as stated, this is only the beginning, not the end. Within 45 days, we will bring a massive plan. Both for Kiryat Shmona and for the North, since we are going to make a tremendous revolution here – because actually, after decades, we have driven Israel’s enemies back, and we are providing security, support, and prosperity here;  I am certain it will happen.

I am very moved because of my grandfather, who got off the ship in 1910 and made his way; it took three days to reach Safed on the Valley Train and a boat. And here, my father spent his early days. Later, during my military service, I got to spend close to five years here as both a soldier and a commander. I used to come to Kiryat Shmona a lot. I knew every street here; later we would go to the Golan and Hermon and other places, and it created a very personal and close bond for me.

And naturally, I came here, and I met Eli Zafrani, who remained young, and a deep bond was formed. He would always ‘drill’ me about Kiryat Shmona. So there is an evolving personal connection here. 

Now I ask for one thing. I know how committed you are to the city’s development, as we all are. What I ask is, as we are all sitting around this table working together – I ask that we work together!

We are not just seeking to close gaps; we want to jumpstart Kiryat Shmona higher and higher.”

Kiryat Shmona Mayor, Avichai Stern [translated from Hebrew]:
“Every single one of you has a golden opportunity today to be partners in a historical moment, to put your signature on an important decision, a dignified chapter in the annals of the city of Kiryat Shmona. Not just as those who came to visit it in its hour of strife, but as those who breathed new life into it, new hope. This is a moment everyone in the city will remember forever: The 37th Government of Israel, led by Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, approved a dedicated plan for the development, prosperity, advancement, and growth of Kiryat Shmona during the most difficult period it has known. 

By approving the plan today, you will provide guarantee to the children of Kiryat Shmona, that their home will be sturdy and steadfast, and more prosperous than it has ever been. So, just before Tu BiShvat, we will also plant in them the roots of real hope for them and for the city that they love and all of us love. The heart of Israel is here in Kiryat Shmona; let this heart beat again with strength. Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister.”

Prime Minister's Office

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