Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Tuesday with leaders of the settlement movement to discuss details of his plan to apply Israeli sovereignty to parts of Judea and Samaria next month.
Netanyahu is expected to discuss with the leaders of the Yesha Council – and umbrella group representing Israeli towns across Judea and Samaria – not only his sovereignty plan, but also American conditions for US recognition of Israeli sovereignty, as well as the implications for Israel of the Trump administration’s Middle East peace plan.
On Monday, Israeli mayors from across Judea and Samaria joined a meeting of the Yamina party to discuss their concerns regarding the Prime Minister’s sovereignty plan.
“I want to thank MKs Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked, who welcomed us here at the party meeting to discuss with us the Trump peace plan and the sovereignty plan,” said David Elhayani, chief of the Yesha Council.
“We are at a very critical point in time for not only the settlement movement but also the State of Israel as a whole.”
“I, as the head of an organization that has a lot to lose, say ‘no thanks’ to the Trump plan and to a Palestinian state, but yes to sovereignty. We have a responsibility to the public – not just to our [community] but to the State of Israel as a whole. That’s why we came here today, to highlight the dangers and to say ‘no’ to the establishment of a terrorist state in the heart of the State of Israel.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu is expected to introduce the plan to apply Israeli law to parts of Judea and Samaria next month, after the time-limit against raising the issue in the government expires on July 1st.
On Monday, however, Minister Ze’ev Elkin (Likud) said deliberations on the plan could be pushed off by days or even weeks if the joint Israeli-American mapping committee responsible for setting the boundaries of Israel’s application of sovereignty has not completed its work by the July 1st deadline.
I know that they’re working on the map, and this process could take a little bit more time.”
“The first of July is the first day the plan can be brought up for a debate in the government and the Knesset. But it is possible that it will take a few more days or even weeks.”
