The political-security cabinet met on Sunday evening when its members discussed saving the Palestinian Authority from collapse, but did not approve relief measures to make it happen.
IS THE PALESTINIANS AUTHORITY PART OF THE PROBLEM? - ITAMAR MARCUS
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The Cabinet rejected economic concessions that require the approval of the Finance Ministry, such as fuel discounts and debt relief, due to the opposition of the Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir. Finance Minister and Minister in the Defense Ministry Bezalel Smotrich, who also expressed his opposition, abstained from the vote. However, it is estimated that certain concessions that do not require a Cabinet vote will be granted.
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Benjamin Netanyahu leads a Security Cabinet meeting; Mahmoud Abbas is trying to hold the Palestinian Authority together
(Photos: Amos Ben Gershon, GPO)
"You live in a fantasy world if you believe that the Palestinian Authority hates us less than Hamas," Ben-Gvir told the Cabinet during the meeting. "They call for the murder of Jews in the textbooks, say that the Jews are unclean, pay salaries to terrorists. You do not understand that in the end the Golem will rise up against its creator, and you want to strengthen them In the end; the barrels of their guns will be pointed at us."
"If they are strengthened, the guns will be pointed at IDF soldiers. Incidents have already happened," Ben-Gvir also said.
During the Cabinet's discussion there was no talk of concrete concessions and relief measures. Security officials warned that the PA is in a difficult situation, and even in danger of collapse. Their position that Israel needs to strengthen the Palestinian Authority with significant measures to save it from collapse ultimately was accepted by the Cabinet.
By a vote of a majority of eight members, with Smotrich abstaining and Ben-Gvir voting against, the Cabinet decided that " "In the absence of a change in the national assessment, Israel will act to prevent the collapse of the Palestinian Authority, while demanding that it cease its anti-Israel activity in the international legal-diplomatic arena, the incitement in its media and education system, the payments to the families of terrorists and murderers, and the illegal construction in Area C."
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Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich oppose providing relief measures to the Palestinian Authority
(Photos: AFP, Alex Kolomoisky)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposals that were unanimously accepted by the Cabinet are: security forces will continue to act resolutely to thwart terrorism, the prime minister and the defense minister will propse to the Cabinet steps to stabilize the civilian situation in the Palestinian arena, and the Cabinet unanimously supported Defense Minister Yoav Gallant's statement that "calls for resistance are damaging Israel's security, and they must be condemned and action must be taken to leave the security forces out of the political discourse."
Gallant warned during the meeting this evening about the threats not to report to the reserves following the legal revolution, and said that "the voices that are raised about the threats of refusal or the cessation of volunteering are playing with fire, this is a reward for our enemies, and you have now heard how serious the challenges are."
Gallant said the government "must not accept a situation in which there are those who use the IDF and the security agencies to promote their political positions while threatening to refuse or calling for refusal. This is an illegal and dangerous act that harms the security of the country. The refusal is a reward for our enemies, and as you see in the last few days and hear in their statements, there are quite a few of them. We expect all elected officials, from the right and the left, to make a clear statement in favor of keeping the IDF out of the political controversy and above and beyond any controversy."