Speaking at the traditional central Jerusalem Day celebration at the Merkaz Harav Yeshiva in Jerusalem, Education Minister Naftali Bennett (Jewish Home) responded Wednesday night to a report that the US is demanding that Israel transfer parts of northern Samaria from Area C, under Israeli rule to Area B, part of the Palestinian Authority where Israel is only in charge of security..
According to the report by Channel 10, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu also opposes the move, which would effectively cede control over the affected areas from Israel to the PA.
Bennett said that: "the era in which we treat the Land of Israel as a mere piece of real estate - that era is over. We will not take a saw and slice off parts of our land to give to our enemies. That era is over."
"I come now from the march of flags [to the Western Wall]. The organizers and the police said that it was the largest march [for Jerusalem Day] ever, and the most people who have been at the Western Wall since 1967. But according to my calculation this is also the largest concentration of Jews since the Second Temple period."
He said that when speaking about 'united Jerusalem,' "the Temple Mount, the Western Wall, the entire Old City, the City of David, Ma'aleh Hazeitim, The Mount of Olives, and Nof Zion" should also be remembered. "All of Jerusalem that will remain united under Israeli sovereignty and only under the sovereignty of Israel forever."
