by Shlomo Cesana, Israel Hayom Staff and News Agencies
Israel should annex settlements, starting with Gush Etzion, says Habayit Hayehudi leader Naftali Bennett • Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid proposes separation from the Palestinians but warns against annexing settlements, sparking coalition rift.
|
Economy
and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett
|
Photo credit: Gideon
Markowicz  | ||||
|
|
Finance Minister and Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid said on
Sunday that Israel should draw a map of its future borders with a Palestinian
state.
In an address at the 14th annual Herzliya Conference,
Lapid also spoke out against Economy and Trade Minister and Habayit Hayehudi
leader Naftali Bennett's proposal to annex parts of Judea and Samaria. Lapid
vowed that Yesh Atid would quit the government if such a step was taken.
If there is an attempt to annex even a single settlement unilaterally, Yesh Atid will not only leave the government, it will also topple it," Lapid said.
If there is an attempt to annex even a single settlement unilaterally, Yesh Atid will not only leave the government, it will also topple it," Lapid said.
"Israel needs to come to the next round of peace talks
with detailed maps that we will prepare that express a broad national consensus.
These maps would allow us to formulate a three-part move, at the end of which we
will be completely separated from the Palestinians and reach a wide-reaching
accord with the moderate Arab states."
The first stage, Lapid said, would be an Israeli
withdrawal from unpopulated areas of Judea and Samaria. In the second stage,
Israel would dismantle isolated settlements outside the blocs. And in the third
stage, the final borders, including land swaps, would be set and talks with the
Palestinians on remaining core issues would begin.
Lapid said that Israel would benefit economically from his
plan.
"The money that gets buried somewhere between Itamar and
Yitzhar could help us reduce the size of classes in our schools, establish
better health services ... and strengthen the Israel Defense Forces," Lapid
said.
Also speaking at the conference on Sunday, Bennett said
the time had come to apply Israeli sovereignty to the settlements in Judea and
Samaria.
"For 21 years, the Left was given a chance," Bennett said.
"I call on [Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] to take the
necessary step, even if it is not easy: Implement my sovereignty plan, step by
step, and begin by applying sovereignty to Gush Etzion.
"The world, and the State of Israel within it, is in an
age of moral obfuscation. With the establishment of the Hamas-Fatah government,
we must recognize the truth -- the Oslo era is over. After 21 years of trying
one way which included withdrawals, concessions, releasing terrorists,
disengagement and unilateral and mutual separation, it's time to admit that it
does not work.
"We discovered that when you run away from terror, terror
pursues you. We 'separated from Gaza,' and thousands of rockets have fallen on
us until today," Bennett said.
Under Bennett's plan, Israel would gradually annex Area C of Judea
and Samaria, where 400,000 Israelis live alongside some 70,000 Palestinians,
while creating greater autonomy for Palestinians in other parts of Judea and
Samaria.
Shlomo Cesana, Israel Hayom Staff and News Agencies
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=18029
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
No comments:
Post a Comment