An unlikely meeting took place on Tuesday in the home of Yisrael Gantz, the head of the Binyamin Council, in the town of Psagot in Shomron (Samaria). Ten Democratic Party Congressmen came to his home after visiting Palestinian Authority officials in nearby Ramallah. Even more surprising were the members of the left-wing anti-”settler” J-Street Organization who brought the politicians to the meeting.

There are currently three separate congressional delegations in the region. One delegation is hosted by J Street, a left-wing organization that advocates for a “two-state solution” which would create an unprecedented Palestinian state inside of Israel that has been ethnically cleansed of Jews with its capital in an exclusively Muslim Jerusalem. Though the party follows the lead of President Biden in advocating a two-state solution. This is also the official platform of the Democratic Party. 

For several years, J Street denied receiving any funding from George Soros’ Open Society Foundation until The Washington Times revealed the connection in 2010. J Street received roughly one-third of its revenue from billionaire Jewish left-wing financier George Soros as a three-year, $750,000 beginning in 2008. The revelation of the connection to notoriously anti-Israel Soros was considered damaging to JStreet, dispelling the myth that it was a pro-Israel organization.

J Street has hosted anti-Israel speakers like political activist Mustafa Barghouti, a leader in the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement, and Michael Sfard, who promotes lawfare cases against Israeli officials. In 2010, J Street co-sponsored a congressional mission to Israel with Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) which advocates for BDS. J Street also acts as a focal point for other allegedly Jewish groups that are anti-Israel such as Jewish Voices for Peace, Yesh Din,  and Breaking the Silence.

Despite their anti-Israel bias, they requested the regional council arrange to have the meeting. Eliana Passentin, a spokeswoman for the Binyamin Regional Council, explained the unlikely request. 

“J Street contacted us several years ago,” Passentin explained. “They bring groups to the region and want their people to see both sides of the issue. When we sat down yesterday, we all acknowledged that there was a big political elephant in the room that we would not agree on. So we spoke about the issues we could agree on, such as environmental issues in the region.”

To illustrate the importance of the issue, Gantz showed the visiting lawmakers the extensive environmental damage being caused by the Palestinian Authority. Ganz presented the Congressmen with documentation of the extensive and harsh environmental damage being caused by the PA and the Arabs in the Judea and Samaria regions.

From the terrace of his home, Governor Ganz pointed to the large garbage dump near Pesagot, at the entrance to Ramallah. The dump is used by the Arabs in the surrounding area, and they burn garbage most days of the year, sending clouds of noxious smoke toward the residents of Pesagot and the surrounding towns and villages.

Ganz also showed the Congressmen evidence of the local streams that are being polluted by the dumping of sewage and construction waste, illegal garbage dumps that are set up in broad daylight, illegal quarries and the pollution of water sources and natural resources.

Ganz told the Congressmen that the international community’s automatic support and forgiving attitude toward the Arabs encourages them to continue polluting the environment in the largest gem of natural beauty in the Middle East. When groups and foreign countries blindly support projects in this region, they are active partners to the irreparable destruction of the environment.

The Congressmen toured the town of Pesagot and heard about the communities and other Jewish towns and villages in the surrounding area.

“It’s time to start thinking out of the box,” Pasentin said to the gathered politicians and representatives of J Street. “There are common concerns that we can work on together, such as environmental issues. I want to thank you for coming to hear up close about our challenges and hopefully we will be able to work together on solutions.” Passentin also shared her experiences as a mother of small children living in the Binyamin Region.

Ganz also raised the issue of infrastructure construction, such as the upgrading of main roads and intersections that serve the entire population. “Instead of piling up obstacles and impeding Israel from developing this region, promote these infrastructure projects and help us to build here. Everyone travels these roads,” he told the group. “Hindering the construction and development of this region causes suffering and distress to Jews and Arabs alike. I believe that you sincerely wish to be partners in growth and development, and I am asking you to make wise choices,” Ganz told his guests.”

The US Congressmen thanked Ganz for the opportunity to visit with him and said that this was the first time they had heard about these matters from this particular angle and that the meeting was very positive and meaningful for them.

J Street Israel’s Executive Director Nadav Tamir said at the end of the visit: “Like every J Street tour, we hold meetings in the Judea and Samaria towns and villages too, in order to expose the Congressmen to as many different perspectives of Israeli and Palestinian society as possible.”

Last month Ganz visited the US Congress as part of the activities of the Binyamin Regional Council’s lobby in Washington for the Judea and Samaria towns and villages, and raised these issues there too.