Netanyahu promises on Instagram: Israel will not evacuate Jews from Judea and Samaria

Netanyahu answered both frivolous and serious questions from lay people, including one about whether it would be practical to buy a home in Samaria.

By: Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indulged his followers on the picture-sharing site Instagram on Monday evening, answering queries both big and small for as long as time allowed him.

One citizen’s concern centered on whether it would be worthwhile to buy a home in Samaria, assuming that residents could be evacuated in a political deal with the Palestinians. The PM gave a simultaneously flippant and serious answer: “I try not to give tips about buying, but I promise you that we aren’t evacuating villages in the Land of Israel.”

Another related to his personal relationship with other heads of state, such as India. Netanyahu responded that his counterpart Narendra Modi is a close friend of his “and a close friend of the State of Israel.”

Some serious questions were not directly answered. For example, asked if the situation in the northern part of the country is being addressed properly, the prime minister simply replied, “We’re dealing with it all the time.”

He also ducked a query about how he would define the “current security situation,” giving a historically accurate but non-specific answer: “We are protecting ourselves by ourselves – and that’s the greatest change in the history of our people.”

Other questions focused on Netanyahu personally, as inquisitive people asked what his favorite foods were (“pasta and fish”) and how much sleep he gets at night on average (“seven hours – unless the red phone rings”). He also acknowledged that he’s a big fan of the Beitar Jerusalem soccer club.

“I’m a huge fan – what, you didn’t know? Go Beitar! I’d love to come to a game, but I don’t want to bother the fans with the security arrangements,” he enthused.

Examples of questions left hanging included:

“Why do you not openly admit that Israel is talking to Hamas?”

“Is it true that war on the northern front is closer than ever?”

“Will you resign if an indictment is brought against you?”

This method of going around the traditional media and directly reaching out to ordinary citizens is similar to the way US President Trump has acted. Both leaders certainly feel that most of the fourth estate is hostile to them, with Netanyahu rarely giving interviews to members of the regular press corps.