Likud MK Ayoob Kara on Sunday criticized Education Minister Naftali Bennett (Jewish Home), blaming him for "obsessing" over building in Judea and Samaria.
"Bennett needs to stop being obsessive about Jewish building in Judea and Samaria," Kara said. "Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told US President Donald Trump's representative that Israel will not freeze building in Judea, Samaria, and Jerusalem.
"Netanyahu is working to advance the interests of Jewish building in Judea, Samaria, and Jerusalem, but he does it with wisdom and without attracting unnecessary attention," Kara said, adding that 6,000 new housing units were recently approved for construction.
Earlier on Sunday, Bennett criticized Netanyahu for agreeing to limit the amount of Jewish building in Judea and Samaria, as well as for working on a "compensation package" for the Arabs.
"We've missed a strategic opportunity," Bennett tweeted. "Instead of suggesting an alternative, such as applying sovereignty to Area C, we were passive and ended up with the same old two-state solution.
"We, the Jewish Home, have eight mandates. We managed to stop the government from releasing terrorists, we managed to pass the Regulation Law, we managed to help Amona, and more. But in order to change the paradigm from giving away land to working towards sovereignty, we need 25 mandates.
"They ask what the difference is between us and the Likud. This is the difference. If we want to keep talking, Likud is great. If we want a real change, it will only happen if the Jewish Home is large enough. In the meantime, we will ensure the policies agreed upon are implemented.
"The issue isn't Trump, it's the Israeli government. Since no Israeli initiative was offered, the two-state solution stepped in to fill the vacuum.
"This is an historical loss, and we need to make the most of the opportunities offered to us (which is what I did in hi-tech and in general). But we are optimistic. We will continue pushing and in the end we will succeed."
The Likud party responded, "It was very entertaining to read Bennett's tweet about Prime Minister Netanyahu, who works determinedly, responsibly, and wisely for the sake of Israel's security and for the sake of Judea and Samaria.
"Bennett is the last person who should be lecturing about standing up to pressure. As Education Minister, he has given in to pressures and left Arab poet Mahmoud Darwish in charge of the curriculum. He has given the responsibility for civics studies to an extreme leftist, and has completely ignored the incitement taught in Arab schools and in Jerusalem's Arab neighborhoods - in schools renovated by the Education Ministry, which he heads."