Jewish Home MK Smotrich warns that Netanyahu is drawing up a diplomatic move that will result in Palestinian state.
MK Bezalel Smotrich (Jewish Home) on Tuesday evening warned that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is drawing up a diplomatic move that will result in the establishment of a Palestinian state.
“In recent weeks, there have been too many indications that the Prime Minister is quietly cooking up a process that will lead to the establishment of Palestine,” Smotrich wrote on Facebook.
“All this talk about a ‘deal’ and a regional peace conference, the freezing of construction outside the blocs (those who do not build outside the blocs essentially say that the State of Israel is not going to remain there), and the reports about a ‘deal’ that Trump proposed to Abbas for negotiations in return for a construction freeze; reports in Haaretz on contacts between Netanyahu and Herzog to establish a unity government based on the renewal of the ‘political process’; Netanyahu’s desire to build an ‘Iran bypass route’ with moderate Arab states in which the price Israel will have to pay in order to build this axis will be on the settlement front,” he continued, listing what he perceived as indications of Netanyahu’s move.
“Everything is happening quietly and behind the scenes, ministers and Knesset members are excluded from the contacts with the new administration, and perhaps only a very small group of secret partners within the Prime Minister’s circle understands where he is navigating the ship,” wrote Smotrich.
“In this situation, and if we allow Netanyahu to continue to cook up this political process behind the scenes, he will surprise all of us one morning with a ‘closed deal’ that will include a regional move in which he will try to reach an understanding with Trump and several other heads of state in the Arab world over the borders of the State of Israel. These borders will probably overlap with the blocs when the rest of the territory (more than 90 percent) will be designated for a future Arab entity (what Netanyahu defines as a ‘state minus’ in which the IDF maintains security control). The Arabs will want to establish it right away,” he warned.
“When that happens it will be too late. By remaining silent, we are the bridge on which Netanyahu is cooking up the deal and when he has it in his hand, he will throw us out and bring in what is left of the Zionist Union (Herzog in his situation has nothing to lose).”
At the end of the post, Smotrich clarified the red lines that must be placed in order to block the move.
“Demand for massive construction outside the blocs that will make it clear that there will not be a construction freeze, which means the establishment of an Arab state and the evacuation of Jewish communities. An immediate alternative for the evacuees of Amona, and the application of sovereignty over Maaleh Adumim.
“These steps,” continued Smotrich, “will upset the cards, prove that this government is a right-wing government, and make it clear to our friends in the U.S. and to our neighbors in the Middle East that we are on the way to strengthening our hold on our homeland. The integrity of the land is more important than the perfection of the coalition.
“Now the Likud will probably be very angry with me and will claim that I am making false accusations against the Prime Minister. They certainly do not imagine that the Prime Minister and the leader of their party will take the country that we love so much on such a dangerous and non-Zionist adventure. Of course I will be very happy to discover I was wrong. But if not, then they will have to prove that the integrity of the country is also more important to them than the wholeness of their party,” concluded Smotrich.
Once again we see a government working for its own interests.