Coalition ministers head to W. Bank to reassure settlers

Rivlin: “Terror will not determine for us where we will live, where we will build, and when we will engage in negotiations.”

By REBECCA ANNA STOIL, GREER FAY CASHMAN
rivlin 311 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
rivlin 311
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
A day after Tueday night’s terrorist attack near Kiryat Arba in which four Israelis were killed, over a dozen right-wing coalition members visited several West Bank communities Wednesday to demonstrate their support for residents, and to reassure them that the government stood behind them, as Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington for peace negotiations.
“Terror will not determine for us where we will live, where we will build, and when we will engage in negotiations,” said Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin in Efrat, where he visited the “frozen” project of Nofei Cramim in the Dekel neighborhood and then participated the opening ceremonies of the award-winning Asu Chayil Elementary School in Efrat.
“The real test of whether there is a partner is the Palestinians’ ability to confront terror and eliminate it,” he said.
Rivlin was joined in Efrat by Coalition chairman MK Ze’ev Elkin (Likud), while Culture and Sport Minister Limor Livnat (Likud) visited Ma’aleh Adumim. Minister-without- Portfolio Yossi Peled (Likud) went to Alfei Menashe, and Yakir hosted Diaspora Affairs MinisterYuli Edelstein (Likud).
Deputy Minister Gila Gamliel (Likud) attended a ceremony in Psagot while the other deputy ministers Ayoub Kara (Likud) and Leah Ness (Likud) visited Ariel. MK Tzipi Hotovely (Likud) went to Beit El, while the Shas MKs Avraham Michaeli and Haim Amsalem visited Modi’in Ilit and Kochav Ya’akov respectively. Lastly, Michael Ben-Ari (National Union) visited Karnei Shomron.
President Shimon Peres also turned his visit to a school opening in Jerusalem into a platform to discuss the implications of Tuesday’s terrorist attacks.
While visiting the Zalman Aran elementary school, Peres, in response to questions by journalists, said that he was outraged by the attack in which four innocent people, one of them a pregnant woman, lost their lives.
“I want to say with absolute certainty that the terrorists will not succeed,” said Peres. “They are a catastrophe to their people and a danger to ours.”
Peres made it clear that those who are genuinely interested in peace will not allow terrorists to claim any victories.
He had no doubt that the terrorist attack would impact on the talks now taking place in Washington, but was confident that it would strengthen the common concept that terror is the main barrier to peace and must therefore be eradicated.