Gantz slams bill tasking Religious Zionism with running W. Bank policy, as incoming coalition advances it

In the discussion preceding the preliminary reading of a bill to establish an independent minister in charge of West Bank building policy within the defense ministry — slated to go to the ultranationalist Religious Zionism party — outgoing Defense Minister Benny Gantz charges that the incoming coalition is trying to create a parallel defense ministry.

Rather than creating a minister within a ministry, Gantz says that the coalition agreements indicate that the bill is trying to create a second Defense Ministry in charge of the West Bank.

Coupled with expanded powers promised to expected national security minister and Otzma Yehudit party chief Itamar Ben Gvir, which are slated to include moving the West Bank’s Border Police division from the IDF’s command to the police, Gantz says the parceling off of defense ministry responsibilities to different chains of command will hurt security.

He claimed the incoming coalition was putting national security at risk in order to please the far-right parties needed to form a government.

The bill passed its preliminary reading 61 to 51 and will move to a committee for its next legislative steps.