Bennett: It’s either Israel or ISIS in the West Bank

“A Palestinian state will never be established in the heart of the Land of Israel,” says Bennett.

By TOVAH LAZAROFF
Updated: NOVEMBER 17, 2015 00:49
Naftali Bennett. (photo credit: Courtesy)
Naftali Bennett.
(photo credit: Courtesy)
ISIS would move into any area Israel would vacate in the West Bank, Education Minister Naftali Bennett said on Monday as he warned against the creation of a Palestinian state and attacked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his support of such an idea.
“Either you will be here, or ISIS,” will be here, Bennett told students at Ariel University, which is located in the Samaria region of the West Bank.
His statement came as the world continued to reel from Friday night’s terrorist attacks in Paris, in which at least 129 people were killed.
“A Palestinian state will never be established in the heart of the Land of Israel,” he added, saying, “a state in Samaria is a strategic mistake that must be uprooted.”
Bennett distinguished the views of his party, which opposes a Palestinian state, from that of the Netanyahu-led government and parties in the opposition.
“The Likud under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership supports a Palestinian state, as does [Yisrael Beytenu head Avigdor] Liberman. [Yesh Atid party head] Yair Lapid supports the Saudi initiative,” Bennett said.
“They are leading the state of Israel and the world in general astray,” he said.
Bennett told the students establishing a Palestinian state would not end the threat of Palestinian terrorism.
“Palestinians do not engage in terrorism because they have lost hope, but because they have hope, they are hoping for a Palestinian state. It is a central part of their multi-stage plan.”
Palestinian terrorism will disappear once that hope is gone, he said. Until then, it will be prevented only by strong deterrence, he said.
“We need to stop explaining away terrorism,” Bennett said, claiming that those who look for the causes behind the terrorism are in a de facto way, justifying it.
“When a rapist rapes, we don’t try to understand him, we just punish him,” Bennett said. The same thing has to happen here, he added.