Netiv HaAvot neighborhood
Netiv HaAvot neighborhoodGush Etzion Spokesman

Knesset Member Yoav Kish (Likud) summarized the coalition crisis in an interview with Arutz Sheva saying that the agreement was reached thanks to the Prime Minister's determination and the coalition leaders opinion that the current coalition is the best for the State of Israel and should be preserved.

"The intention is for Minister Litzman to return, through an amendment to the law, to the position of Deputy Minister, and in effect can continue to be an active part of the Health Ministry's administration. In addition, there were clear delineations of all sensitive laws regarding religion and state," concluded MK Kish, explaining the main points of the agreement between the parties that ended the latest coalition crisis.

Regarding Netiv Ha'vot, the Gush Etzion neighborhood slated for destruction although it has only a few meters of land for whicha Arabs claim ownership, Kish says that unfortunately he could not attend a conference held last night to support the residents because he was at the annual media conference in Eilat. Howver, "it is clear that the residents have the full support of me and of many members of the Likud," he stated.

"We have to understand that the Supreme Court has jurisdiction over Netiv Ha'avot, and therefore to complain to us, Members of Knesset, today after we have reached this situation [is futile] ... We don't have much that we can do, and in this matter I don't want to mislead Netiv Ha'avot residents." Referring to the mythical stories of the 'Wise Men of Chelm', actually dummies, Kish describes the court's behavior: "There is a Chelm-like approach of the Supreme Court to uprooting whole houses, some of which contain only one problematic meter, but this is the decision of the Supreme Court and as a state ruled by law we honor the High Court."

אמשיך ללחוץ. קיש
אמשיך ללחוץ. קישצילום: אלירן אהרון

Kish added, however, that the struggle to be carried out now is to define the zoning scheme and to prepare a future outline for the neighborhood "so that we can grow from here on."

According to him, the Regulation Law was intended precisely to prevent such situations in the future, and now a struggle is under way for this law.In his opinion, there is no legal problem with the Regulation Law and therefore it is actually a political struggle. "There's an attempt to undermine it because it provides a solution to those cases."

Kish noted that there is also a sense of change in direction in the High Court. Evidence of this is the decision of Justice Jubran approving expropriation of land to benefit a Jewish community in Binyamin.

Regarding the possibility that the Regulation Law will be disqualified in the judicial system, Kish says, "We in the Knesset will find the relevant tools to create a situation that will prevent demolition."

Regarding construction, it appears that despite the favorable US administration, the few permits given for construction are nothing more than recycling: "I want as much as I can and will always ask for more.I don't want to defend the government and I say that we have to build more.Indeed, we thought there would be no restriction on this matter.The Prime Minister came to an understanding with the administration that unfortunately still does not allow us to build as much as we want.

"I totally sympathize with this distress.The change we see is that we are building everywhere, which was not in the past and that is very important.I very much welcome the construction in the Hezekiah quarter of Hevron.Unfortunately, there are not enough units and we have to build more, and in this matter the pressure, at least for me, on the government will continue."

On recent polls that show parity between the Likud and Yesh Atid, he says: "You do not have to be bemused or bothered by surveys. We have to continue to work, to continue to work for the public," he says.

However, Kish admits that he can not understand the meaning of Yesh Atid's rise in the polls."They aren't around, they don't do anything, maybe it's best not to do anything and then you get public support?"He believes that within a year of continued work, the results in the polls will prove a completely different reality.

אמשיך ללחוץ. קישאלירן אהרון