Published on 5/31/2026
The Israeli Walla website revealed on Sunday that a number of settlement leaders in the north fled the country following the escalation of Hezbollah attacks with missiles and drones on settlements near the Lebanese border.
The website stated that 5 heads of municipal councils in areas falling within the direct threat of war traveled abroad on missions or visits that it described as not urgent, at a time when the region is witnessing increasing security tension.
He explained that Shimon Guata, head of the Maale Yosef Regional Council, which includes 22 settlements in the Western Galilee, is currently in New York, along with Amit Sofer, head of the Merom Galilee Regional Council adjacent to the Lebanese border.
He also pointed out that the mayor of Nahariya, Ronen Marley, traveled to Berlin to participate in twinning activities between the two cities, while the mayor of Karmiel, Moshe Koninsky, is also in the German capital.
The website added that Benny Ben Mofhar, head of the Mevoot HaHarmon Regional Council, traveled to Greece during the current period.
Lack of field presence
The Walla website considered that the escalation of security tension in recent days makes the justification for these trips less convincing, noting that northern Israel witnessed over the weekend one of the most tense periods in recent times, with Hezbollah intensifying its missile attacks and drone attacks.
The website criticized the absence of local officials from their areas in light of the current security conditions, stressing that the role of heads of local authorities is not limited to managing municipal affairs remotely, but rather includes field presence alongside residents, visiting the injured, and leading situation assessments.
In its responses to the report, the Mevoot HaHarmon council administration said that the council president traveled on a pre-planned family vacation, while the Karmiel municipality explained that the mayor is on special leave and is following security developments and conducting assessments of the situation from outside the country.
Since last March 2, Israel has launched a massive attack on Lebanon, which, according to the latest Lebanese official data, resulted in the killing of 3,412 people and the injury of 10,269 others, in addition to the displacement of more than a million people.
