Dan Meridor
Dan MeridorFlash 90

The government does not plan to adopt the Levy Report, Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor declared Friday. The groundbreaking report found the Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria is legal by international law.

“Ramallah and Hevron are not part of the state of Israel, and I don’t think that Prime Minister Netanyahu plans to change that,” Meridor told Voice of Israel Radio (Kol Yisrael).

Meridor’s statements contradict earlier statements from Vice Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon. During a visit to Hevron earlier this year, Yaalon assured Jewish residents that Israel’s return to the city is “forever” and said the government is “working to develop our presence here.”

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said this week that he would seek to adopt parts of the Levy Report. However, he has reportedly changed his mind due to strong opposition from Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein.

The report has caused upset in the Opposition. While the National Union is in favor of adopting the study, the left-wing Labor, Meretz and Kadima parties, as well as the Arab parties, are strongly against such a move.