Sunday's government meeting canceled amid outpost row
At present these communities cannot be serviced, because the Defense Ministry has categorized them as illegal, even those that are in the process of legalization have difficulty.
By TOVAH LAZAROFFPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits an old army outpost overlooking the Jordan Valley last June. (photo credit: ABIR SULTAN / REUTERS)
Sunday's government meeting was canceled amid a bitter dispute over the legalization of some 70 West Bank outposts.Typically, the government meets weekly, but disagreements between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Likud) and Alternative Prime Minister Benny Gantz (Blue and White) have kept the numbers of meetings down, so that to date, only two such meetings have been held this month.Among the disputes has been the outpost issue. Netanyahu initially drew accolades from the Right when he lent this support to a bring the issue of the outposts to the government.He has, however, since been under attack for failing to successfully get it on the agenda and for reportedly wanting to include only a small fraction of the communities in the decision. Gantz would have needed to approve its placement on the agenda, but he has been opposed bringing it to the government.The Israeli Right and the Yesha Council want the government to declare its intent to legalize the fledgling communities that were built without authorization.At present these communities cannot be serviced, because the Defense Ministry has categorized them as illegal, even those that are in the process of legalization have difficulty.Defense Ministry legal advisor Moshe Frucht has explained that a government declaration of intent to legalize was needed in order to internally change the status of the communities within the ministry.The text of a decision which grants these communities the de facto status of legal settlements while they are in the process of authorization has already been drafted by Community Affairs Minister Tzahi Hanegbi (Likud).There are approximately some 100 outposts, but only 70 have been included in the settlers' legalization push.Hanegbi has included only some 45 outposts in the decision he drafted for the government. The Right which initially railed against that narrow list, was even more upset when they learned that Netanyahu might only bring three communities forward for legalization to the cabinet."Netanyahu is once again playing us," the Knesset Land of Israel Caucus said, adding that his behavior was "inconceivable."It demanded passage of Hanegbi's text. Education Minister Yoav Galant (Likud) called for all the outposts to be legalized.Strategic Affairs Minister Michael Biton (Blue and White) who was initially tasked with writing government the decision together with Hanegbi said he believes that only a pared down list of communities on state land should be approved.He spoke about the matter with the Left-wing group Peace Now on Thursday, in which he said, "We will not allow for the authorization of 40 outposts and neighborhoods."We will authorize only in isolated instances for which there is a government decision and for which plans already exist," he said.In an attempt to circumvent the government, the Caucus had brought the matter to the Knesset, which gave it initial approval to the matter. But the Knesset dispersed before the legislative proposal could be passed into law.
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