Several fundamental Israeli ministers slammed Netanyahuâs temporary settlement freeze proposal, which was approved by his cabinet, and said that âthat this issue a submission to the Palestinian demandsâ.
Several fundamental Israeli ministers slammed Netanyahuâs temporary settlement freeze proposal, which was approved by his cabinet, and said that âthat this issue a submission to the Palestinian demandsâ.
Head of the Likud Bloc at the Knesset, Zion Pinyan, called for questioning Likud leader, Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and added that settlement freeze should have been discussed among Likud ranks.
Israeli Information Minister, Yuli Edelstein, said that freezing settlement activities means stopping the natural growth of the Jews and âdeporting those who came to the countryâ.
Edelstein added that he will not be part âof expelling the Jewsâ, and claimed that freezing settlement activities jeopardizes Israelâs security.
He also claimed that freezing settlement activities âdoes not help the peace processâ.
Arab member of Knesset, Jamal Zahalka, said that the vote is meant to delude the world as âtrial and error taught us that whenever Israel says it would freeze settlements, it builds more and moreâ.
Meanwhile, Zevulun Orlev of the Habayit Hayehudi Party (The Jewish Home) called on Likud, Kadima and Yisrael Beiteinu Party ânot to slide to this law levelâ, and to oppose any settlement freeze.
Arieh Eldad of the Ichud Leumi Party, said that settlement freeze is a âshameful submission to Mahmoud Abbasâ, and added that this submission would facilitate further submission to Hamas.
âEvery minister who voted for settlements freeze, helped push Israel deeper into the slide of submissionâ Eldad said.
Israeli Interior Minister, head of Shas movement, Eli Yishai, said that âNetanyahu is conducting enormous efforts to advance the peace process by freezing settlement activities, âbut we believe that this will not help peace in any wayâ.
But Israeli Minister, Benny Begin, a strong advocate to settlement construction and expansion, defended the decision and said that âthe limitations are on new constructions permitsâ.
Begin added that the cabinet did not vote on a freeze of settlements activities in the West Bank.
He further said that thousands of units and public facilities in the settlements will be built during the settlement freeze, and after the 10-month freeze, settlements will be built in the West Bank.
Israeli Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, said that the Israeli government has a commitment to Jewish settlers in the West Bank, and that constructions would resume as normal after 10 months.
He added that Israel has a commitment to the countries and the individuals who supported it against the Goldstone report, and not a commitment to Abbas and his authority.