Likud ministers against 'unnecessary' settlement freeze
Referring to West Bank construction moratorium, Erdan says, 'We must make certain that such far-reaching measures don’t result in crisis with settlers.' Shalom: It won't jumpstart peace talks. MK Danon submits sufficient number of Likud members' signatures in order to demand a debate on freeze
Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan (Likud) condemned Defense Minister Ehud Barak and said he had promoted the temporary freeze of construction in settlements due to his own private political agenda.
"The defense minister is not so innocent, he has a political agenda. Tonight there is a Labor Party meeting," Erdan told Likud members on Sunday.
"We as the Likud must not send the (West Bank) regional council heads out alone to contend with the Civil Administration, which does not even possess the resources to handle appeals against the freeze plan."
Erdan, who is opposed to the construction moratorium, added, "I don't have the authority to stop it."
"We must make certain that such far-reaching measures don’t result in a crisis with the West Bank settlers, as was the case in the past," said the minister, referring to Israel's unilateral pullout from Gaza in 2005.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded, "God forbid, we cannot let what happened in Gush Katif to repeat itself. We must make every effort to prevent it.
Labor Minister Isaac Herzog rejected Erdan's accusations, saying, "Anyone who listened to (special US Mideast envoy) George Mitchell's knows that this decision (moratorium) is not based on a political agenda.
"This decision may alter the Middle East; now it is all up to (Palestinian President Mahmoud) Abbas," said the minister.
Minister Silvan Shalom, who was abroad when the cabinet voted in favor of the construction freeze, said he would have voted against it. "The construction moratorium is unnecessary and will not bring the Palestinians back to the negotiation table," he said.
Meanwhile, Knesset Member Danny Danon handed in a sufficient number of Likud members' signatures in order to demand a debate on the recently imposed construction freeze in West Bank settlements.
Danon said the signatures "express public opinion in the Likud, as well as the opinions of ministers unable to be here".
Also on Sunday, Minister Uzi Landau (Yisrael Beitenu) filed an appeal with the government secretariat regarding the Cabinet's decision to freeze construction in settlements for 10 months.
"This is a central issue in the state agenda, and it is essential that all members of government get a chance to express their opinions," Landau said.
Attila Somfalvi contributed to the report
