Danny Danon
Danny DanonFlash 90

Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon (Likud) on Tuesday called on Jewish Home chairman Naftali Bennett to back up his words with actions, and declare that he will resign if Israel agrees to release Israeli-Arab terrorists as a “gesture” to the Palestinian Authority.

“My friend, join me and promise that you will not remain in the government should Israeli-Arab terrorists be released,” Danon called to Bennett.

“Kerry and Netanyahu’s cynical trick is unethical, hurts Israeli interests and will turn [PA Chairman] Abbas into a hero in the Israeli-Arabs' eyes,” he added.

Danon recently declared that he would resign unless the fourth tranche of the release of terrorist murderers is cancelled, though Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was unfazed by his threats.

Danon’s comments come amid reports that a deal was in the works, which would see Jonathan Pollard being released in exchange for over 400 Arab terrorists.

Bennett has been a vocal critic of terrorist releases. On Saturday night, responding to a report that Israel was willing to free 400 terrorists from its prisons so that peace talks continue, Bennett said, “That’s not going to happen.”

Meanwhile on Tuesday, Abbas breached the conditions of the peace talks by signing a request to join several UN agencies.

Abbas obligated himself to refrain from such unilateral moves for international recognition during the course of the peace talks, restarted last July.

The unilateral move by the PA effectively torpedoes the peace talks, which were set to continue until April 29, and which have been stalling of late amid Abbas's consistent refusal to recognize Israel as the Jewish state.