The Ministerial Committee for Legislation is expected to discuss today a bill by Yariv Levin which seeks to allow electricity to be connected to the 'young settlements,' the Israel Hayom newspaper reported.
It is estimated that the committee will reject the law, despite the embarrassment it will cause some members of the government.
The explanatory memorandum to the law states that "many localities in the young settlements in Judea and Samaria have suffered for years from a lack of planning promotion. As a result, the existing localities, houses and public buildings cannot be connected to the electricity grid. Such a situation causes the residents, including many children, to live in conditions that do not match reasonable living conditions. Among other things, as a result of a lack of regular power supply in the required amounts, many are left without heating and hot water in the winter and without air conditioning on hot days."
In addition, it is stated that "the state can not shirk its responsibility to take care of the pioneers, residents of the young settlements, whose settlement is not carried out due to the lack of promotion by the government. Therefore, it is proposed to allow the connection of the localities and neighborhoods in the young settlements in Judea and Samaria to the electricity grid, without waiting for the planning regulation of the localities and neighborhoods as stated, which should be promoted without delay and regardless of the proposed legislation. The enactment of the proposed law will put an end to the suffering of the residents and children of the young settlement, and will put an end to the discrimination from which they suffer."
Levin's proposal was intended to embarrass the Yamina and New Hope parties, who promised during the election campaign to help the residents of the young settlements - and are now forced to align with the demand of the left wing in the government opposing the young settlements.
Levin said that "the children of the young settlements are also suffering from a lack of regulated electricity this winter and are coping with great difficulty with the extreme cold. It is time to put an end to this injustice. I expect the members of the Ministerial Committee to approve the law I am bringing today and to connect the young settlements to electricity. They have already approved the illegal Arab construction - but the children of the pioneers in the young settlements are still waiting. No excuse can be accepted. The ministers have heat. The invaders in the state lands in the Negev have heat. It's time for the pioneer children to have heat, too."