Protesters demand Knesset pass Regulation Law
Protesters demand Knesset pass Regulation LawYonatan Sindel/Flash90

Senior Religious Zionist leaders criticized Jewish Home chairman Naftali Bennett Tuesday morning over the impending demolition of Amona and a neighborhood in the town of Ofra, and demanded he fulfill promises made in an agreement with residents.

Sources within the Religious Zionist movement told Arutz Sheva on Tuesday that Bennett had failed to make good on promises made to residents, in exchange for their peaceful evacuation from Amona.

“Bennett isn’t standing by the promises he made, that two days after the inauguration of the new American president, Donald Trump, he would bring the Regulation Law up [for a vote]. Promises must be kept without excuses,” the source said.

"Naftali Bennett will be a member of a government overseeing the destruction of Amona and nine homes in the heart of the town Ofra - nothing at all serious was done to prevent the demolitions. Bennett publicly pledged to pass the Regulation Law - he hasn't kept his word. Is Bennett following in the footsteps of a Prime Minister, who makes promises and then doesn't deliver?"

According to the source, himself a senior Religious Zionist figure, there is no justification for delaying passage of the Regulation Law.

"There is absolutely no excuse which can justify pushing off passage of the Regulation Law. This isn't annexation or a large building project - this is just a matter of preserving what is already there. There isn't even a need to coordinate with the Trump administration - and if there is a need, it can be done before the Prime Minister meets with [Trump] in February, so there are no excuses."

The source also criticized the two Tekuma MKs, Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel and MK Bezalel Smotrich, within the Jewish Home party.

"The same questions can be asked about the Tekuma faction," a partner of the Jewish Home which ran on a joint list. "There's nobody there shouting 'this far, no farther'. This is the time to pass the law, and who knows what will be with the government in another month."

In December, Bennett negotiated an agreement with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on behalf of the 42 families currently residing in Amona which would allow 24 to remain on the same hill the town currently rest upon, albeit on new plots.

In addition, the Prime Minister and Education Minister Bennett agreed to pass the Regulation Law, meant to protect Jewish communities from ex post facto claims of land ownership by absentee owners, following the inauguration of President Donald Trump.

Under the framework of the agreement, the government would construct replacement homes at the new site, and would build a new neighborhood for the remaining 18 families at a separate location in Samaria.

But residents noted that as of Monday, no work had been done to prepare the replacement homes. With the evacuation of Amona’s currently location slated for February 8th, residents pointed out, it was virtually impossible for the government to fulfill the agreement.

Later on Monday, the Supreme Court issued an injunction temporarily barring implementation of the agreement after the left-wing Yesh Din organization filed a petition against the construction of the replacement homes.