Likud MK's to oppose freeze despite extra permits
Freshman Likud MK Danny Danon told the JPost on Saturday that they plan to oppose the 'settlement freeze' regardless of how many housing units Prime Minister Netanyahu approves before the freeze goes into effect. He says that he and a group of MK's have scheduled meetings with two senior Shas MK's (one of whom I would bet is party chairman Eli Yishai), two MK's from Yisrael Beiteinu, one of whom is part of party chairman Avigdor Lieberman's 'inner circle' and all of the MK's from HaBayit HaYehudi. Unlike other Likud MKs who still are attempting to pay lip service to Netanyahu's authority, Danon said that "the prime minister has apparently forgotten that he stands at the head of a nationalist government. With all of the secret agreements that he is making over our heads, we will soon find ourselves at a point of no return in terms of Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria."The opposition - both inside and outside the coalition - criticized Netanyahu for trying 'to have his cake and eat it too. Criticism came both from Kadima and from the half of Labor that is half inside and half outside the coalition. On that score, the bottom line is that if reaching an agreement with the 'Palestinians' was so important to them, Kadima had more than enough chances to join the coalition, and refused to join because of its leader's desire for self-aggrandizement.
Within coalition partner Labor, however, the prime minister's move was welcomed. Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said Friday that "the Labor Party sees in a positive light the actions and path of the prime minister to renew the diplomatic negotiations."
At the end of the day, all of these protests will make no difference. What seems to be eluding just about everyone is that Netanyahu can issue all the permits he wants and know full well that no actual construction will ever happen. Construction in Judea and Samaria requires the Defense Ministry's approval, and so long as that ministry is headed by Labor's Ehud Barak, there isn't goingto be any approval forthcoming. Whether things will change after the 'freeze' remains to be seen.
But Netanyahu is probably jumping for joy that so many members of his own coalition are opposed to the freeze. That may allow him to point to his coalition and refuse future American demands.
As to Danny Danon's presence in the coalition, we ought to be thanking Moshe Feiglin.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:42 AM
1 Comments:
As long as Labor controls the Defense Ministry, no permits are going to be issued. That is what escapes the EU and the Americans. Still, a partial freeze is the maximum Netanyahu can offer Obama and still survive in office. And its not enough for the Palestinians. Israel can offer nothing that will bring them back to the table. That would be acknowledging reality, if any one in the West was actually bothering to notice it.
What could go wrong indeed
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