Bennett: Defense Ministry preparing for sovereignty

Settler leaders are pushing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ignore a White House directive not to apply Israeli sovereignty to West Bank settlements until after the March 2 elections.

By TOVAH LAZAROFF
Defense Minister Naftali Bennett speaks at the INSS conference. (photo credit: CHEN GALILI)
Defense Minister Naftali Bennett speaks at the INSS conference.
(photo credit: CHEN GALILI)
The Defense Ministry is preparing for the application of sovereignty, Defense Minister Naftali Bennett told settler leaders at a meeting on Monday prior to his departure for Washington.
Settler leaders are pushing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ignore a White House directive not to apply Israeli sovereignty to West Bank settlements until after the March 2 elections.
Netanyahu had initially said he would bring it to a cabinet vote, but has since held off. No cabinet meeting has been scheduled so far this week.
Bennett met with settler leaders on Monday and told them that he supported the application of sovereignty now, irrespective of the US position, and that he would personally discuss the matter with the prime minister upon his return from Washington.
Bennett also told the settler leaders that he had created a team to prepare his ministry for the application of sovereignty.
At present, Area C of the West Bank is under Israeli military and civilian control. The application of sovereignty over any or all of the 30% of Area C given to Israel in the Trump administration’s plan would mean the transfer of governance of the settlements there from the IDF to the regular ministries that handle civil matters for all of sovereign Israel.
Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan said he met separately with Bennett on the need to apply sovereignty now. Dagan sent a letter to Netanyahu on Sunday telling him, “we chose you Mr. Prime Minister, not [US President Donald] Trump and not even [US special envoy Jared] Kushner.”
Israel “is a sovereign nation and must make the decision to apply sovereignty even if it means going against the US position,” Dagan said.
In the Jordan Valley, Yesha Council head David Elhayani also demanded a sovereignty vote, or at the very least a vote on the application of sovereignty to the valley.
Elhayani, who heads the Jordan Valley Regional Council, joined a convoy of cars and tractors that showed its support for Jordan Valley sovereignty application.
“After 53 years, the time has come to apply sovereignty,” Elhayani said.