New Samaria demolition reignites coalition crisis

Defense Minister Gallant again overrides Smotrich, orders Samaria demolition.

Israel National News

The Israeli Defense Ministry’s Civil Administration for Judea and Samaria uprooted a Jewish-owned orchard and olive grove in Samaria Wednesday morning, defying the instructions of Minister in the Defense Ministry Bezalel Smotrich (Religious Zionist Party).

Dozens of yeshiva and seminary students gathered at the olive grove and fruit orchard, owned by Hen Ben-Eliyahu and located in the Shilo Valley in the Binyamin district of Samaria, in an attempt to prevent the demolition.

Roughly 40 protesters have been detained by police thus far, the Honenu organization reported.

“It is unbelievable that a fully right-wing government would do this,” the Ben-Eliyahu family said Wednesday. “Twenty years-worth of work was undone in one moment, and there is no one to halt this injustice. We call on all government ministers to stop this and to come here.”

The uprooting was carried out despite orders from Smotrich, who also serves as Finance Minister, to the Civil Administration to freeze the demolition.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (Likud) countermanded Smotrich’s orders, instructing the Civil Administration to move forward with the demolition.

The Civil Administration has accused the Ben-Eliyhau family of seizing farm land in the Shilo Valley without authorization, citing court rulings ordering the family to uproot its orchard.

Gallant, who was himself has been accused of seizing hundreds of square meters of public land to expand his estate in Moshav Amikam, previously countermanded orders by Smotrich last month to halt the demolition of the new Ohr HaHaim outpost near Migdalim in Samaria.

The razing of the outpost heightened tensions between Smotrich and Gallant within the Netanyahu government, and led to a boycott of the government by Smotrich’s Religious Zionist Party.

The two ministers have reportedly clashed over plans to transfer authority over the Civil Administration from Gallant to Smotrich, as per the government’s coalition agreements.

During Wednesday morning’s demolition, Smotrich fired off a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warning him that further delays in implementing the transfer of the Civil Administration could threaten the future of the government.

“About a month ago, as Minister in the Defense Ministry appointed to oversee the Civil Administration and Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, I instructed that the order against Hen Ben-Eliyahu be nullified immediately.”

“But much to my surprise, the Defense Minister brazenly violated the coalition agreement and overruled my decision.”

“Minister Gallant has decided to continue the left-wing policies of former minister Benny Gantz and to destroy orchards, even though the claims against this orchard were proven in court hearings to be false.”

Smotrich went on to demand that authority over the Civil Administration be transferred to his office “today.”

February 15, 2023 | 17 Comments »

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17 Comments / 17 Comments

  1. MK accuses Border Policeman of sexually assaulting her
    Otzma Yehudit MK Limor Son Har-Melech says 1 of the officers who formed tiny human chain around her ‘did something which is forbidden.’..

    MK Limor Son Har-Melech (Otzma Yehudit) accused one of the Border Police officers who blocked her from reaching the scene during the uprooting of a Jewish-owned orchard in Samaria Wednesday morning of sexually assaulting her.

    “The police commander at the scene ordered three other policemen to form a human chain around me. When, after several minutes, I sought to leave the ring, he told me every time: “We are protecting and guarding you,”” MK Son Har-Melech told Israel National News – Arutz Sheva.

    She said that when she attempted to get out of the circle of police officers, “one of them did something that is completely forbidden,” implying that the officer may have sexually assaulted her.

    “When I manage to get out of the chain, the same policeman who gave the order to create the chain followed me. He realized that he had done something which is very serious and told me: ‘You hit my policeman.” At this point it became clear that he was trying to cover up what he had just done.” she said.

    Dozens of protesters gathered at the Ben-Eliyahu orchard near Shilo to block the demolition of the orchard and olive grove, including several MKs.

    Roughly 40 protesters were detained, the Honenu organization reported.

    Footage from the demolition shows soldiers violently assaulting demonstrators, and physically blocking MK Limor Son Har-Melech from reaching the scene by forming a small human chain to prevent her from moving eve a few feet in any direction.

    Newly-minted MK Tzvi Sukkot (Otzma Yehudit) attempted to prevent the demolition of the orchard, standing in the path of a bulldozer.

    https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/367529

  2. What is the name of the officer who assaulted a Jewish representative of the Knesset and how will he be punished? If he were an Arab we would be told. The whole country and the whole world would weigh in on it. Is this a Jewish state, or what?

    I’d love to know who is giving this a thumbs down and why. This is common sense. Only Jews are disc

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  3. The chairman of Otzma Yehudit, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, attacked the destruction of the Ben Eliyahu family vineyard in Binyamin and sought to convey a strong message to the Prime Minister.

    In a special statement he made, together with MK Limor Son Har-Melech, who was assaulted at the scene of the incident, Ben Gvir said: “We did not sign up for this. We joined the government based on the Prime Minister’s promise that it would be a fully right-wing government.”..

    https://www.israelnationalnews.com/

    1

  4. The police assaulted an MK? This is treason on so many levels. The left must be purged the same way the left purged the right. And the article say, “the police.” When an Arab is struck we learn the name of the officer and what his superiors plan to charge him with.

    You know when I stopped trusting Bennett and Shaked? When they assumed guilt in the case of the teenagers who were being framed for an arson in an Arab village and not allowed to see a lawyer or their parents and were being tortured.

    https://www.israelnationalnews.com/

  5. The police assaulted an MK? Are are you kidding me? When it’s some Arab terrorist we learn all about the name of the officer and how his superiors plan to punish him.

    The chairman of Otzma Yehudit, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, attacked the destruction of the Ben Eliyahu family vineyard in Binyamin and sought to convey a strong message to the Prime Minister.

    In a special statement he made, together with MK Limor Son Har-Melech, who was assaulted at the scene of the incident, Ben Gvir said: “We did not sign up for this. We joined the government based on the Prime Minister’s promise that it would be a fully right-wing government.”..

    https://www.israelnationalnews.com/

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  7. The meaning of THROW A WRENCH INTO THE WORKS is to damage or change (something) in a way that ruins it or prevents it from working properly.

    Merriam Webster

    This not the first time Galant has rushed to uproot Jews. He’s the Israeli equivalent of a RINO.

  8. Sebastien

    Truman fired MacCarthur for insubordination.

    Exactly. If he can’t adhere to the agreements to which he himself is a signatory, replace him before he can demolish one more Jewish home. The position of Defense Minister seems to drive men mad. Bibi should reconsider Schmotrich for the position.

    I am reluctant to mention it, but since you have raised the point, I think it is something to consider. The reckless disregard of the PM’s instructions which were only enforcing previously established guidelines as to the limit of Gallant’s authority does indicate a point of

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  9. The planning committee said Galant had built his home in the northern community of Amikam on 350 square meters of property accidentally listed as his, unaware that it was actually public land.

    Who made the mistake and did they check for the possibility of bribery?

  12. “Former IDF general partially cleared in land scandal that stopped his appointment as chief of staff

    Two claims remain against Yoav Galant

    By AARON KALMAN
    20 December 2012, 5:17 pm
    0

    A planning committee partially cleared a former candidate for IDF chief of staff of allegations that he appropriated public land, a charge that played a part in quashing the general’s once-likely nomination to head Israel’s army.

    The local planning and building said one of the problems with the home built by Maj.-Gen. (retired) Yoav Galant wasn’t his fault, though other charges against him remain.

    Galant on Thursday avoided questions about a possible return to the public sphere, but said it was good to put the issue behind him.

    The planning committee said Galant had built his home in the northern community of Amikam on 350 square meters of property accidentally listed as his, unaware that it was actually public land.

    The decision didn’t address two other issues still being investigated by the state comptroller and attorney general: the building of an unauthorized access road to his house and the planting of an olive grove that spilled over the boundaries of his property.

    Galant was the front-runner for the post of IDF chief of General Staff in 2010, but his candidacy was clouded by various negative stories in the media, including the alleged land appropriation scandal.

    Eventually, Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein told Galant he couldn’t defend his appointment in front of the High Court of Justice, and he withdrew his candidacy.

    It was “a situation used by others [to prevent my appointment]” Galant told Yedioth Ahronoth.

    He thanked the appropriate authorities for bringing an end to the unnecessary anguish he and his family went through.

    “It’s good the matter has come to an end. Better late than never,” Galant said.

    https://www.timesofisrael.com/former-idf-general-partially-cleared-in-land-scandal-that-stopped-his-appointment-as-chief-of-staff/

  14. “Gallant, who was himself has been accused of seizing hundreds of square meters of public land to expand his estate”

    And? Hello? Was he exonerated? If not, can you say, “conflict of interest,” class? Now, that would be corruption, serious corruption.

  17. Bibi needs to set his house in order. Otherwise, we’ll get Lapid back and it was all for nothing. It would be a shame to see the judicial reform go down the tubes because Galant isn’t gallant. He is a party to the coalition contract too.