Jewish Home MKs threaten sanctions over reported settlement freeze

Jewish Home Knesset members and settlement leaders sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over reports of a West Bank construction freeze, threatening in a letter to Likud members to impose sanctions on the government.

The letter was the result of an emergency meeting on Sunday, convened in response to claims that the PM had decided to freeze settlement development in the West Bank, as well as the Supreme Court’s decision to demolish buildings in the section of the settlement of Beit El known as the Dreinoff neighborhood — named after contractor Meir Dreinoff.

The Likud party has denied that there is any settlement freeze or slowdown, but has indicated that Netanyahu has international pressures to consider.

According to Hebrew-language news sites, Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel and Member of Knesset Bezalel Smotrich threatened in the statement to refrain from voting in the Knesset, a move that could severely undermine Netanyahu’s already unstable coalition.

Ariel and Smotrich are both from the National Union faction within the nationalist Jewish Home Party.

The ruling coalition has a narrow majority of 61 out of 120 MKs, leaving the government vulnerable to threats from junior partners.

The Likud responded to the letter with a statement decrying Ariel’s criticism and reinforcing Netanyahu’s commitment to the settlements.

“MK Uri Ariel is well aware of the fact that the settlements are dear to the prime minister and to Likud,” the statement read. “The prime minister will continue to advance the settlement project wisely and responsibly in the face of a complicated international reality.”

The response also stated that the prime minister will promote the construction of more housing units in Beit El, by converting land currently used by a Border Police base.

The letter from the Jewish Home MKs and settler leaders called for the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, as well as the end to the demolition of existing settlements.

The communique threatened to gradually impose sanctions, in order to effect a change in government policy. However, it was unclear what sanctions — other than Knesset votes — were being considered.

The letter also accused Netanyahu of betraying those who voted for the Likud in the election in March, claiming that the government would lose “its right to exist,” if it acted in defiance of the public’s wishes.

“Whoever does not build in Judea and Samaria endangers the security of the State of Israel and advances the establishment of a terrorist state in the heart of the Land of Israel,” Smotrich said at a meeting with settlement leaders on Sunday, using an alternate term for the West Bank.

According to Israeli news site Ynet, the demolition of buildings in the Dreinoff neighborhood of Beit El is scheduled to take place at the end of July.