Ya’alon keeps West Bank authority as PM sets up settlement panel

The cabinet secretary gave the go-ahead Monday for the establishment of a ministerial committee on settlements, to be headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Despite earlier reports, the committee will not curtail the Defense Minister’s authority over the West Bank. A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office noted that jurisdiction over settlements will remain with minister Moshe Ya’alon.

Instead, the committee will be responsible for “areas of national importance, Gaza perimeter communities and the periphery,” the statement said, without giving any details on it’s specific responsibilities.

The move comes at the request of Education Minister Naftali Bennett, who called on Netanyahu to implement an article in the Likud-Jewish Home coalition agreement mandating the establishment of the committee, in an apparent bid to take the power to settle West Bank housing disputes out of the defense minister’s hands.

The demand came as several right wing lawmakers threatened to boycott coalition votes amid anger over the evacuation of Jewish settlers from two West Bank homes.

On Friday, Ya’alon ordered the removal of several dozen Jewish settlers from two houses in Hebron, a day after they entered the buildings, claiming they had bought them from Palestinians.

The defense minister called the settlers “intruders” and asserted they had acted in “brazen” breach of the law, as they did not have proper occupancy permits.

Ya’alon’s order set off a string of angry condemnations by right-wing politicians over the weekend.

Netanyahu, who sided with Ya’alon’s decision, promised cabinet members a swift investigation of the legality of the alleged purchase of the buildings and said Sunday the settlers would soon be allowed back in the homes.

“The government supports the settlement [project] at all times, especially in these days when it faces a terror onslaught with determination and courage. At the same time,” he said at the weekly cabinet meeting. “We are a nation of laws and must respect the rule of law.”

The right-wing Jewish Home party called the evacuation “irresponsible, bullheaded and inflammatory.” It castigated Ya’alon’s focus on alleged settler breaches of the law at a time when Israel was being targeted by Palestinian terrorism.

The settlers entered the homes near the Tomb of the Patriarchs on Thursday, using crowbars to break in, and raising the Israeli flag on the roof. They claimed the homes were secretly bought from the Palestinian owners.

Palestinians said the buildings were taken over illegally and they clashed with the settlers. The riots were broken up by security forces.

The IDF has forbidden entry into the buildings, posting soldiers outside to prevent anyone from going in.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.