If the Government of Israel believes it has the right to continue building in Yehuda and Shomron, or any of the areas viewed as “occupied” by the international community, then it should do just that. Alternatively, even with that right, national leaders might feel the condemnations that will follow such a move may outweigh the benefit.

Whatever decision is made, the prime minister of the State of Israel should not link construction to the release of terrorists from prison, but this is exactly what Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his cabinet is doing.

A ministerial committee is meeting on Thursday 23 Teves to make the final determination as to the terrorists that will be freed next week, most likely as early as 26 or 27 Teves. The twenty terrorists being released will represent the third of four “prisoner releases” by Israel during the nine month negotiating process with the PA.

In what he must perceive as a right-wing response, the prime minister and his cabinet have decided for as long as they can continue building in Yehuda and Shomron, they can live with the consequences associated with releasing murderers from prison.

For Bayit Yehudi, which lives and breathes the advancement of communities throughout Yehuda and Shomron, it decided for as long as the construction continues, it will be part of a cabinet that releases these heinous people. For Naftali Bennett and his colleagues, halting construction in yishuvim is the red line while releasing these convicted villains is acceptable, albeit b’dieved.

Adding to this bizarre reality is the fact that senior PA (Palestinian Authority) officials have already announced the negotiations between Israel and the PA have collapsed and a deal is not likely. Nevertheless, Israel continues to respond to pressure from US Secretary of State John Kerry, releasing terrorists when ministers are aware there will be no peace agreement, only the continued process of unilateral Israeli concessions. PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) has agreed to nothing to date. Quite the contrary as this week he reiterated his unwillingness to recognize Israel as the Jewish nation, backed by the Arab League.

Just recently the right-wing coalition defeated a bill presented by MK Yaakov Litzman seeking to protect Yerushalayim. The bill would have prohibited negotiators from discussing any compromise on Yerushalayim without first receiving two-third Knesset approval. MK Moshe Feiglin was the only coalition member to raise his hand in defense of Yerushalayim.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)