Nir Orbach following meeting with Bennett
Nir Orbach following meeting with Bennettצילום: יונתן זינדל, פלאש 90

Senior coalition officials have offered to freeze the planned demolition of the Samaria community of Homesh, in exchange for a Yamina MK’s continued support for the government, Kan Bet reported Monday morning.

According to the report, top coalition officials promised MK Nir Orbach that no action would be taken in the coming months to evacuate the renewed Jewish presence at Homesh, the former Israeli town evacuated during the August 2005 Disengagement which has become the center of efforts by activists to resettle the area.

The site is currently home to a yeshiva, makeshift dorms, and other temporary structures erected by activists.

While the government’s left-wing coalition partners, including Defense Minister Benny Gantz, have insisted on evacuating the Homesh yeshiva, some right-wing lawmakers, including Orbach, have hinted they may bolt the government if the demolition is carried out.

Orbach met twice yesterday with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in a bid to reach a deal to avoid the immediate collapse of the government, with Orbach suggesting talks aimed at forming a new government, even as he backs a preliminary vote to dissolve the current Knesset. The Prime Minister reportedly asked Orbach to hold off on the plan and give the coalition a chance to stabilize.

The Supreme Court has backed the evacuation of Homesh, and the government will be required to update the court in two months regarding its plans for the community.

Nevertheless, according to the report, coalition leaders are prepared to defer action on the planned demolition for the foreseeable future, under the assumption that Homesh’s evacuation would lead to the immediate dissolution of the government.