To the dismay of some coalition partners, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced he is not going to permit stepped-up construction in Yehuda and Shomron as many believed would be the case in this administration.
Since the establishment of the new government about three months ago, a number of illegal outposts have been removed and this began placing doubts in the minds of Bayit Yehudi and other right-wingers who may have voted for Likud.
Reshet Bet correspondent Yoav Korkovski revealed that during a Likud faction meeting, the prime minister announced his government would not be expanding construction in Yehuda and Shomron. Mr. Netanyahu explained there is a great deal of pressure from the international community and he is compelled to deal with these realities. The prime minister is quoted saying “we have to conduct ourselves with wisely”.
Earlier on Monday, 26 Tammuz, Bayit Yehudi leader Education Minister Naftali Bennett released a harsh criticism against Likud, stating that Likud was part of the expulsion in 2005 and it is likely to do the same in the future. Bennett was addressing a kenos marking the 10th anniversary of the expulsion from Gaza and N. Shomron communities.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu came under harsh criticism from the right-wing during the 19th Knesset after he bowed to US pressure and ordered a construction freeze in Yehuda and Shomron. While he signaled this would not be the case in the current administration, it now appears he is not changing his policy.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
2 Responses
Anyone really surprised? Bibi is in office, thinks he doesn’t need to “play” hardline anymore. The parties in favor of construction in what is Israel should wake him up by pulling out of the coalition and bringing him down.
Mr. Netanyahu was not elected to deal with reality, he was elected to pander to the fantasies of the Israeli right wing. He could talk tough and bash the US president, and others, during the campaign, but now that he must govern, he thinks that reality and wisdom should guide his government. What a betrayal of the nonsense he campaigned upon.