The chairman of Religious Zionism, MK Bezalel Smotrich, responded to the government's initiative to connect Palestinian Authority outposts and villages to the electric grid:
"The young settlement in Judea and Samaria was established by generations of Israeli governments for Zionist, national, strategic, and security reasons. The Arab outposts in Judea and Samaria were established by the PA and the European Union for national strategic Arab purposes that contradict our own.
"Ganz's cynical attempt to create symmetry between the two reflects an extreme leftist view that seeks to establish an Arab state of terror in the heart of the Land of Israel and a loss of values and Zionism. The cooperation of those who call themselves 'rightwing' in the coalition with the practical steps that Ganz is taking in this direction, will be a lasting tragedy and will not be forgiven," Smotrich said.