105 bomb shelters have been placed in Binyamin communities since the start of Operation Roaring Lion, out of 1,391 placed nationwide, according to data published in Haaretz. Israel Ganz, Binyamin governor and chairman of the Yesha Council, fired back at the newspaper’s criticism of shelter placement in Judea and Samaria: “The days when Judea and Samaria residents were second-class citizens are over.”
1+According to the data, 423 of the shelters were placed in Judea and Samaria. Other localities that received shelters include Kiryat Shmona (64), al-Qassum (55), Upper Galilee (40), and Mateh Asher (36).
In Binyamin, the initiative included placing shelters in all caravan neighborhoods. The response was designed to reduce exposure for residents living in structures without adequate protection, amid missile fire during the operation.
1+National Program Worth 80 Million Shekels
According to details provided, the national program to close shelter gaps, worth around 80 million shekels, was formulated following an initiative Ganz advanced during the operation with Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
In his response to Haaretz, Ganz emphasized that the initiative provided solutions outside Judea and Samaria as well: “I’m proud to lead a dramatic change that filled years-long shelter shortages in the north, the south, and in Binyamin, Judea and Samaria.” Ganz added: “The left-wing camp needs to internalize this: The days when Judea and Samaria residents were second-class citizens are over. We are an inseparable part of the State of Israel.”