Netanyahu: Nobody cares about settlements like my government does

Speaking at the weekly cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his government has shown more love for settlers than any other and calls on residents of Amona to take a deal to move off the land peacefully and accept a nearby plot for most of the outposts families.

“We have held dozens of discussions and submitted very many proposals, some I would say out-of-the-box, very creative proposals. We did so out of goodwill and love for settlement; love for settlement, indeed so,” he says. “There has not been a government that showed more concern for settlement in the Land of Israel and no government will show more concern.”

Netanyahu says he, Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Amona leaders met through the night to come up with the solution, though it was previously reported that they had only met with Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan.

“I think that Amona community leaders, who were with me and Minister Bennett in my office until the early morning, can attest to a simple fact: We have done the maximum,” he says. “Now I can only hope that the residents of Amona, who are now discussing the proposed outline among themselves, will accept it and this would be the right decision for them, for settlement, for the entire people of Israel and for the State of Israel.”

The outpost, ordered by the High Court to be razed by December 25, is expected to be evacuated in the coming days, if not hours, and the settlement is expected to vote on the deal later Sunday.