MK (Bayit Yehudi) Betzalel Smotrich feels his party must initiate a coalition crisis to compel action in response to the increasing number of terror attacks. The rookie MK feels “If [Finance Minister Moshe] Kahlon and [Economy Minister Aryeh] Deri can create a crisis over the natural gas issue fearing the public outcry then Bayit Yehudi may precipitate a crisis on the lack of security and blow to the settlements”.

Smotrich calls on his party to demand the immediate elimination of relaxed security regulations for the month of Ramadan, insisting the wave of attacks was predictable. He feels his party must act to restore security throughout Yehuda and Shomron for if not, on one will. He is calling on his colleagues in Knesset not to participate in votes with the coalition until the steps demanded to restores security are taken by the coalition.

Smotrich’s remarks on Tuesday came hours after four residents of the Shomron community of Kochav HaShachar were wounded in a drive-by shooting attack on the Alon Road on Monday night.

The drive-by attack comes following a sharp increase in terror attacks in recent weeks. On Monday morning an IDF policewoman was seriously wounded in a stabbing attack at a checkpoint near Kever Rochel. About ten days ago, Danny Gonen HY”D was murdered in a shooting attack in Shomron near Dolev. A second person survived that attack. On motzei Shabbos 19 bullets were fired at an ambulance near Beit El in Shomron. B’chasdei Hashem there were no fatalities or injuries in that attack. The attacks listed are only a partial listing of Arab terror attacks since the start of Ramadan.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)