Daniela Weiss, head of the Nachala movement, on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s decision to freeze new construction in the area known as E1 just hours after it was announced is a huge mistake.
Weiss is a leader of a group of activists who were planning a mass action to keep E1, the area which connects Jerusalem to Maaleh Adumim, in Israeli hands. Building plans in that vital area for Israeli contiguous control have elicited Arab protest in the past.
"We planned to march there on Tu B'Shvat, and we may hold that march earlier,” she told Arutz Sheva, indicating that Netanyahu’s construction freeze will not be met with silence. “We'll get all the educational institutions of Maale Adumim out to the march,” she declared.
Weiss said that a recent convention in Jerusalem in which thousands of Israelis got together and demanded that Israel build in Judea and Samaria has proven that nationalists have a say in what is being decided in the government and they plan to capitalize on that.
“We’ve seen very positive developments following the conference. We saw the public coming out to oppose the release of terrorist murderers, we’ve heard very important statements by MKs Yariv Levin, Tzipi Hotovely and Yisrael Katz. This effect has made Netanyahu very nervous. We do not plan on remaining quiet over the E1 issue either,” stated Weiss.
She noted that it has been repeatedly proven that a prime minister who caves in to pressure is shown further disrespect by the world.
“Netanyahu is making a big mistake if he thinks that in exchange for the sale of parts of the Land of Israel he can ensure the future of the country. Now we are seeing that just the opposite is true. He kept saying the Iranian issue is essential and he was ready to back Tzipi Livni over it, and now the Americans are completely disregarding him on Iran,” said Weiss.
“It’s too bad Netanyahu doesn’t get it. A Jewish prime minister should know that if he abandons the Land of Israel, none of his tricks to shut down the nuclear reactor will succeed.”
On Tuesday it was reported that Israel published new tenders for 20,000 new homes in Judea and Samaria.
Netanyahu's office hurried to stress that he had opposed 1,200 of the 20,000 homes which are set to be built in E1. He later reprimanded Housing Minister Uri Ariel for promoting new construction without consulting him.
Responding to the latest Israeli plans, Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas threatened that unless Israel cancels the tenders he would end the ongoing peace talks.