Bennet urges Netanyahu to annex Maaleh Edumim

Education Minister Naftali Bennett criticized Netanyahu’s decision to postpone bringing the Annexation Bill before the cabinet, and called on him not squander “ a once in a fifty years opportunity” the Trump presidency presents for Israel to realize its goal of imposing its sovereignty over Judea and Samaria.

“The United States entered a new era, and the State of Israel also enters this week a new political-security era,” Bennett stated, saying “The Prime Minister faces a historic decision. sovereignty or Palestine, Sovereignty or IS on Highway 6?. “In 1981, Begin took courage and annexed the Golan Heights, despite international opposition”. “Today we all understand he was right, no one will take care of the security of Israel if we do not do it.” “This the time for action and not excuses,” he concluded.

These statements follow Prime Minister Netanyahu’s decision on Sunday to postpone the Annexation Bill regarding Ma’aleh Adumim before the Cabinet Legislation Committee to after his meeting with President Trump scheduled next month.

Mayor of Ma’aleh Adumim Benny Kashriel, told Israel Army Radio that he was very disappointed with the decision to postpone. He further disagreed that the vote within the Committee should be considered a unilateral move since it is only “a first step” in the long process of Israeli legislation.

“From a tactical point of view, I think it would have been better to go through with the vote and come before the President of the United States claiming that we have a national consensus. A decision in the Cabinet Legislation Committee does not equate an application of sovereignty.”

In an unprecedented show of support, leader of the Opposition Isaac Herzog agreed on Monday that the Prime Minister was right to wait despite the pressure of his coalition, due to the warning made by the Trump administration that they “did not want any surprises.”

Netanyahu told the cabinet he planned to announce major new construction in the “consensus blocks” in the near future. These are the relatively large towns close to the Green Line, such as the Etzion Block, Maaleh Edumim and the Alfei Menashe-Oranit-Elkana block. These settlements, unlike those deep in Judea and Samaria are non-controversial. A large majority of Israelis support them, and want and expect them to remain in Israel as part of any peace agreement.

This short term freeze does not include construction in Jerusalem. Yesterday the Jerusalem Municipality’s City Planning and Construction Committee, which approves new construction projects, approved the construction of over 600 apartments in Ramot, Ramat Shlomo and Pisgat Zeev.  All three neighborhoods are considered contested neighborhoods, as they are over the Green Line. The approved projects are not new, and have been waiting for approval for over a year. Every time the committee was about to approve them, the government ordered it not to, because of diplomatic pressure from the Obama administration.

Netanyahu is due to meet President Trump next month.