Housing Minister Uri Ariel
Housing Minister Uri ArielFlash 90

Housing Minister Uri Ariel (Jewish Home/Bayit Yehudi) said on Saturday evening that while Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has the right to reprimand him over planned construction in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem, he plans to continue to promote new Jewish homes in these regions.

Last week, hours after Israel announced tenders for 20,000 new homes in Judea and Samaria, Netanyahu angrily directed Ariel to reconsider all of the steps for evaluating planning potential that he distributed without any advance coordination.

“The Prime Minister has the right to reprimand me,” Ariel told Channel 10 News.

He proceeded to slam leftist groups that have been deliberately leaking news of the Israeli construction plans to the United States in order to get the plans cancelled.

"There are people in Israel who do not recognize the results of the elections and call on the nobleman from overseas. It will not help them, we plan to keep on going,” he declared.

Referring to Justice Minister Tzipi Livni (Hatnua), who is representing the Israeli side in the negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, Ariel said, "She is not conducting the negotiations. It is the Prime Minister who does so, that’s why his envoy attorney Molcho accompanies her. I have reason to worry because I'm afraid the Americans are pressuring us to make concessions to the Palestinians while they will not give anything in return. They will definitely not bring peace.”

The latest wave of murders of Israelis by Arabs, noted Ariel, “is not related to the release of the terrorist prisoners. They don't need reasons to kill us, they are evil murderers.”