When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu walked into the Likud conference room at the Knesset on Nov. 6, he knew that the families of terror victims would be waiting for him there. They were the same families who had been holding a hunger strike outside his Jerusalem residence for the past two weeks. They were demanding hundreds of millions of shekels, which they claim have been promised to them, to fund the paving of roads to bypass Arab villages and to install defensive measures at their settlements.

Netanyahu arrived prepared. He brought with him a check for 200 million shekels ($57 million) to increase security on West Bank roads, having discussed the issue with Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon. The leaders of the protest knew about this in advance, but they still refused to forgo their organized attack on Netanyahu. It was broadcast live on all the media outlets with representatives in the room.

Both sides — the settler leaders as well as Netanyahu — benefited from the highly publicized event. As far as the settlers were concerned, 200 million shekels is just a drop in the bucket. They want a security package to include the paving of bypass roads, the installation of street lights, security cameras and sophisticated fencing, and upgrades to improve cellphone infrastructure, all of which would cost a minimum of 3 billion shekels ($850 million). As far as Netanyahu was concerned, the attack on him allowed him to present a budgetary "achievement" that the right favors and perhaps even distract the public from the police investigation of two of his confidantes, attorneys David Shimron and Yitzhak Molcho, in the German submarine scandal.

Under normal circumstances, Netanyahu makes a point of showing up late to Likud meetings. This time, however, he arrived on time, so he could announce, "I am coming from a meeting with the finance minister, where we decided together to immediately set aside 200 million shekels to pave roads that have been agreed upon already. … In early January, we will initiate a Cabinet discussion to approve the allocation of another 600 million shekels to complete the roads and lighting."