by MK Bezalel Smotrich
"It's very simple..." If Meretz, the UAL, and New Hope can defy coalition discipline, then Yamina can too.
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| Bezalel Smotrich Noam Moshkovitz, Knesset spokesperson |
Members of the Yamina party and their supporters probably feel rather uncomfortable seeing the images of Homesh being destroyed, knowing that the Yamina party is a member of the coalition that made the decision to pursue this policy – to finally shut down the yeshiva there, following the murder of Yehuda Dimentman Hy”d, awarding a prize to terrorism.
Instead of doing something about it such as presenting an ultimatum with the demand that the yeshiva continue to exist, they are spreading fake news and lies in order to justify their inaction and create a smokescreen.
As is well-known, I have been involved with Homesh since long before the Expulsion – via my friend Shuli Har Melech Hy”d, who was the first person to move there in order to encourage the residents – and since the early days of the “Homesh First” headquarters which was established fifteen years ago.
So, with your permission, I would like to present the facts clearly:
The “Disengagement” in northern Samaria is legally different to that in Gaza, because the region in which its towns and roads are situated have remained within Area C, that is, under full Israeli control, with a constant IDF presence. In practice, since the dawn of Zionism, areas that were plowed became parts of the country, and so in the merit of the yeshiva in Homesh, the entire region has not become Gaza!
Hundreds of Israeli Arabs in their vehicles travel to northern Samaria every day to conduct business there, and no one stops them in the name of the Disengagement Law. Therefore, the argument that “that’s the law and nothing can be done about it” is simply ridiculous. The road that leads to Homesh has remained open for the past sixteen years. The courts have determined that traveling along Highway 60 does not break any law. (A righteous Jew called Itamar Cohen was the one who brought this issue before the court, and won.)
This week, following the murder, was the first time that an order was issued banning travel on the roads leading to Homesh. This week was the very first time. Not Bibi, and not Smotrich. A government ten degrees to the right… The Homesh yeshiva has existed for fifteen years. In the last five years, the students have lived there around the clock, 24/7. In the last two years, several families moved to Homesh as well. In the past, the Civil Administration was accustomed to destroying the yeshiva approximately once every six months, based on the argument that it was forbidden to erect buildings there following the Disengagement. Each time, prior to the Supreme Court hearing (following a case brought by left-wing organizations on behalf of Arabs, of course), the Civil Administration would evacuate a few buildings in order to be able to tell the Supreme Court that it was enforcing the law, and immediately afterward, the yeshiva would return and the buildings would be rebuilt – until the next time around.
This was of course not the optimal situation and criticism of Netanyahu on this matter was entirely justified, but Bibi never, at any stage, made a decision to destroy the yeshiva completely. The solution to this is annulling the Disengagement Law – which we have been trying to do for the past few years and a draft law has even passed its first reading in the Knesset (seven-and-a-half months ago) but since then it has stalled in the Knesset Committee which is headed by Yamina MK Nir Orbach, who refuses to advance it.
Until now, no one talked about utterly destroying Homesh. They destroyed the “illegal” buildings but the yeshiva students always remained. No one even thought of using force to close the yeshiva as they are now. For the first time ever, a Border Police unit has been stationed there and is ready at any moment to arrest the students and take them to be interrogated. We’re not just talking about estimates or possibilities – this is already happening.
They’re not allowing anyone to move a curtain or a tent. It’s raining? So get wet. It’s cold? So shiver. You want to bring a radiator? Forget it. This decision to utterly destroy Homesh and expel all Jews from the site comes from the political echelon. It’s not something that the local army commander decided – not even something decided on by a general or the Chief of Staff. It’s a decision that was made at the highest level – by the Defense Minister and the Prime Minister.
What makes this decision even worse is the fact that it has been taken as the response to a terrorist attack – which was itself motivated by the wish to see Homesh destroyed. Never before when a yeshiva student was murdered did the government decide to expel the yeshiva’s students and destroy the yeshiva where the murdered student studied. Such a decision awards a prize to Yehuda Dimentman’s murderers and it encourages – G-d forbid – the coming murders.
What can Yamina’s Knesset members do? It’s very simple. If Sharren Haskel can refuse to take part in Knesset votes for an entire week and announce that she won’t return to vote with the coalition until her demand (for establishing a special committee for medical cannabis) is met, then Yamina’s Knesset members can do the same. If MKs from the United Arab List can defy coalition discipline – and Meretz MKs too – then Yamina MKs can certainly do so as well.
They should announce that if, G-d forbid, the yeshiva is evacuated, there won’t be a coalition. Allowing the yeshiva to remain is the absolute minimum that must occur – and it is absolutely their responsibility to see that this happens.
MK Bezalel Smotrich
Source: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/319283
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