Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor said, Tuesday, that the authorization bill for Jewish homes in Judea and Samaria, scheduled for a vote in the Knesset on Wednesday, "is an illusion and could notexist,because itwould causedamagenot only tosettlement in Judea and Samaria, but to Israelas a whole." Interviewed by Israel Defense Forces Radio, the former justice minister said it would not stand up in the Israeli Supreme Court or in international law, adding, "It would only complicate things for us."
Although the order to uproot the homes came from the Supreme Court, Meridor noted that it was the government and not a court that said the homes were built on private Arab land. He said for the government not to uphold a court ruling would result in unpleasantness from the court. Meridor is among a majority of cabinet ministers expected to vote against the measure.