MK Otniel Schneller of Kadima, a religious resident of Samaria, supports the freeze on Jewish construction in Judea and Samaria ordered by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu last week.
Schneller is a resident of Maaleh Michmash in the Binyamin region. He said that “in the present conditions” he supports the cabinet decision to freeze construction. He added, however, that he thinks his party should support the second part of the cabinet decision as well, which states that construction in Jerusalem and “natural growth” inside the Judea and Samaria communities must continue.
"Freezing construction will assist the restarting of the diplomatic process with the Palestinians and at the same time, safeguards Israel's national interests,” he said in a press release Saturday night.
Several nationalist ministers disappointed followers who expected them to oppose the freeze. Likud Ministers Moshe Yaalon, Avigdor Lieberman and Benny Begin all voted in favor of the move.
The Civilian Administration, meanwhile, has wasted no time implementing the new order. By 10:00 Sunday morning, written orders had been handed out to the heads of the local government councils in Gush Etzion, Betar Illit, Maaleh Adumim, Har Adar, Kedumim, Emanuel and Beit El. Later Sunday and Monday morning, the orders are to be delivered to the councils of Binyamin, Modiiin Illit, Efrat, Har Hevron and others.