Yesha Leaders to Netanyahu: You’re Harming Our Future

Heads of Judea and Samaria communities write Netanyahu that he has hurt the region more than any leftist government.

By Ido Ben Porat, INN

The heads of the communities in Judea and Samaria on Thursday sent a letter to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, in which they said he was seriously harming the future of the settlement enterprise in the region and that he had caused it more harm than even the most leftist of governments.

In the letter, a copy of which was seen by Arutz Sheva, the local council heads wrote Netanyahu that in recent years they have encountered various delays in the planning process and in the publishing of new construction tenders in Judea and Samaria.

“As you know, the issue of construction is critical. Promotion of planning, construction and development of communities are the main artery for the development of the settlement enterprise, and they allow to keep the second generation and of new young couples in local communities and educational institutions,” the letter said.

The leaders further noted that in recent months there has been a complete stop to all new construction tenders, “and this week we were informed that under your directive, it was decided to cancel the meeting of the Planning Committee of the Civil Administration and cease promoting any plans in our region.”

“It is puzzling that your directive came after the Palestinian Authority acted against Israel by unilaterally going to international institutions and reaching an agreement with the Hamas terrorist organization,” they wrote, adding that Netanyahu’s decision was “wrong, immoral and contrary to the values of the Likud.”

They added that ordering the cancellation of the planning committee meeting was a decision that dealt serious harm to the future of the communities in Judea and Samaria and noted that such decisions “were never made even by leftist governments.”

“We intend to take action against this decision in any way at our disposal, but before that we would like to hear your opinion and introduce you to our views,” wrote the leaders, who ended the letter by requesting an urgent meeting with the Prime Minister.

The letter comes several days after Army Radio revealed that Netanyahu had instructed Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon to cancel a hearing to promote plans for building in Judea and Samaria

The hearing was scheduled for Wednesday but Ya’alon was ordered, according to the report, to cancel the hearing before new plans could be finalized.

Yesha Council Chairman and head of the Binyamin Regional Council, Avi Roeh, later called on Netanyahu to reverse his decision.

“[The cancellation] borders on gross intervention in the daily life of the residents of Judea and Samaria,” Roeh stated. “We, the mayors, are not even informed and we hear things [only] through the media.”

“It disrupts our lives and prevents us from carrying out our mission: providing services to the residents who suffer from rocks, gunfire and firebombs on their roads,” he continued. “At least let our residents be able to come home to an organized community, where schools and playgrounds have been built.”

Roeh also noted that several projects that the government itself had approved had also been postponed.

Some speculated that Netanyahu’s decision may have been connected to a report published by Peace Now. The far-left group claimed that building in Judea and Samaria had quadrupled over the past year and derided Netanyahu for becoming “Prime Minister of the settlers.”