Lieberman and Elkin
Lieberman and ElkinFlash 90

Member of the Political-Security Cabinet, Environmental Protection Minister Zeev Elkin (Likud), had harsh criticism for the attempts to prevent an additional cabinet meeting regarding approval of plans to significantly expand the Arab city of Qalqiliya.

“I can say with certainty that the cabinet never approved a building plan of 14 thousand housing units in Qalqiliya. During the meeting in question, I had been abroad, but I was briefed about it immediately after it ended. Now that the issue is coming up again, I checked the meeting notes, and there’s no mention of it. Whoever is responsible for advancing it, the Coordinator for Government Activity in Judea and Samaria (COGAT) or the Defense Minister [Avigdor Liberman], is acting wrongy. It’s an unbelievable step to take,” Elkin told Arutz Sheva.

Liberman says that it doesn’t interest him if there is another meeting, as the Defense Minister is the one who decides in the end.

“The Defense Minister is appointed by the cabinet. It’s true that the advancement of building plans in Area C is executed by the Civil Administration [which is part of COGAT which, itself, is a unit in the Defense Ministry], but it is not clear to me why Liberman is so eager to carry out an unprecedented plan to establish a large Palestinian city on Route 6. Policy of that scope needs to come to the cabinet. Someone here was either misled, or is misleading others.”