ISRAEL

Settler leaders launch campaign calling to topple government

Yesha Council heads torch coalition's decision to 'freeze' Jewish construction in the West bank while ignoring illegal Arab construction, a move they say 'endangers national security'

Elisha Ben Kimon|

Published: 03.27.22, 

Settler leaders launched a campaign Sunday to bring down the coalition and force a new round of elections due to what they deem as biased government policies vis-à-vis construction in the West Bank.

The heads of the Yesha Council — an umbrella organization of municipal councils of Jewish settlements in the West Bank — said that the move was prompted by the government’s decision to “freeze” Jewish construction in the West bank, all while effectively ignoring any illegal Arab construction.

Yesha council presser

(Photo: Amit Shabi)

"I supported [the government's] lines when it was established,“ said David Elhayani, the chairman of the Yesha Council, during a press conference launched in front of the Jerusalem office of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett — himself a former chairman of the Yesha Council.

“The agreements said that the status quo would be preserved as it had in the past.

Elhayani added that “recently, it became clear to us that Defense Minister Benny Gantz violated all coalition agreements, and in fact froze all [construction] plans. This reality cannot continue,” said Elhayani.

Illegal Bedouin construction in the West Bank

(Photo: Forum Otef Yerushalayim)

The Yesha chair accused Gantz of ceding Israeli territory to the Palestinians and endangering national security. “Thus this government has no right to exist and should be toppled," he concluded.

The head of the Shomron Council in the northern West Bank, Yossi Dagan, added: “The government is destroying [the Homesh outpost] and freezing construction in the West Bank, all while abandoning the Negev. Such a government will fall.”

The settler leaders added that the Civil Administration’s planning committee — which issues construction permits in the West Bank on behalf of the Israeli government — has not convened in several months.

Police officers tearing down makeshift housing in the northern West Bank outpost Homesh

(Photo: Israel Police)

In addition, the Yesha heads claim that the Defense Ministry’s policy regarding the demolition of illegal outposts has become more aggressive.

"The prime minister was once the director-general of the Yesha Council… I remember him explaining how very important construction is in the West Bank,” said Yesha Council Director Yigal Dilmoni, who added that the settler movement “will not give up until the freeze is over or until the government falls.”