In an interview broadcast in Hebrew on Arutz 7 internet radio, Pinhas Wallerstein, a veteran Yesha figure who heads the Yesha Council and the Binyamin municipality, denied media reports that he agreed to dismantle a number of community outposts in Judea and Samaria.
Israel’s largest daily, Yediot Acharonot, reported that Wallerstein and the Yesha Council (a non-governmental body representing Yesha residents) reached “understandings” with the government on voluntarily dismantling a number of small communities which the government contends are unauthorized.
Wallerstein said that no such understandings exist and that the matter was “not under discussion.” He insisted that the government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert “is not moving toward a path of dialogue.” “This government is interested in conflict,” he said.
Wallerstein said that the leadership of the Binyamin municipality recently met with former Chief Rabbi Avraham Shapira in order to discuss coordinating opposition to the government’s “convergence plan,” which aims to dismantle dozens of Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria.
Though the plan has yet to delineated and approved, many of the communities expected to be slated for removal are located in the Binyamin municipality.
Wallerstein said his meeting with Rabbi Shapira was meant to formulate a faith-based approach to fighting the government’s proposals. Rabbi Shapira, one of the Rabbinical leaders who led the unsuccessful struggle against disengagement, heads the Mercaz HaRav yeshiva in Jerusalem. That yeshiva, under the leadership of the late Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Kook, spearheaded the drive to settle Judea and Samaria in the 1970’s and 80’s.
Wallerstein said his meeting with Shapira will be useful in drafting a document with other Rabbinic figures, outlining strategy for opposing the convergence plan.
“It must be clear to government decision makers that our public is ready to pay a price, and fight without compromise,” he said, adding that he intended to work toward expanding Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, despite the government’s opposition.
Israel’s largest daily, Yediot Acharonot, reported that Wallerstein and the Yesha Council (a non-governmental body representing Yesha residents) reached “understandings” with the government on voluntarily dismantling a number of small communities which the government contends are unauthorized.
Wallerstein said that no such understandings exist and that the matter was “not under discussion.” He insisted that the government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert “is not moving toward a path of dialogue.” “This government is interested in conflict,” he said.
Wallerstein said that the leadership of the Binyamin municipality recently met with former Chief Rabbi Avraham Shapira in order to discuss coordinating opposition to the government’s “convergence plan,” which aims to dismantle dozens of Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria.
Though the plan has yet to delineated and approved, many of the communities expected to be slated for removal are located in the Binyamin municipality.
Wallerstein said his meeting with Rabbi Shapira was meant to formulate a faith-based approach to fighting the government’s proposals. Rabbi Shapira, one of the Rabbinical leaders who led the unsuccessful struggle against disengagement, heads the Mercaz HaRav yeshiva in Jerusalem. That yeshiva, under the leadership of the late Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Kook, spearheaded the drive to settle Judea and Samaria in the 1970’s and 80’s.
Wallerstein said his meeting with Shapira will be useful in drafting a document with other Rabbinic figures, outlining strategy for opposing the convergence plan.
“It must be clear to government decision makers that our public is ready to pay a price, and fight without compromise,” he said, adding that he intended to work toward expanding Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, despite the government’s opposition.