Roy Folkman, chairman of the Kulanu faction, explained his reasoning for joining the Land of Israel caucus in the Knesset Sunday.
The caucus, according to Folkman, is not connected to a narrow sector of society. “It is a discussion which affects the entire populace, and therefore it is our responsibility to be part of that conversation."
"We cannot leave it to just one segment of society, or one party," he added. "This is a topic which should be unifying and not divisive.”
Folkman emphasized, “The era of the fence and water-tower has ended. We have already established a state and we need to act with national interests in mind. The establishment of new outposts is not an answer. The discussion regarding Migron negatively impacts on continued construction and development of Jerusalem, Ma’aleh Adumim and Ariel.”
“The rule for Migron is not the same as the rule for Jerusalem. The discussion that we need to have should be focused on where we need to strengthen the communities in Judea and Samaria. In Beit-El, in Gush Etzion, in Ma’aleh Adumim. We need to refocus and look at the building and construction in Judea and Samaria as a whole, and not as a series of sporadic hilltops.”
Folkman insisted the discussion should not just be about the current security situation, but rather about what the goals are, where Israel is headed, annexation, and even expanded autonomy.
According to Folkman, “It is our job to guide the processes and not to make exaggerated statements and establish a new outpost for every attack committed. We need to focus the discussion on the long-term goals for the movement in Judea and Samaria.
"Many within the National-Religious camp agree with this line of thinking and we need to begin to act on it,” he concluded.