A senior political figure today responded to the criticism voiced following the cancellation of plans to demolish the homes of terrorists who murdered Israeli citizens. The demolition was postponed to prevent clashes and violence on the ground ahead of US President Joe Biden's visit to Israel next month.
"We will destroy the homes of the terrorists," the source clarified, explaining: "Certainly before a fateful visit there should be no reason to ruin the visit over something which you can postpone by four days."
Asked whether it is more difficult to build in Judea and Samaria when a Democratic government is in power in Washington, the source replied: "American policy is clear regarding construction in Judea and Samaria, but we ended up building at about the same rate as the previous government."
"What is certain," the senior official added, "is that the construction freeze we have seen in recent years has not happened [under our government]."
The source also addressed the continuous coalition crisis.
"The experiment failed? The experiment was a success," said the senior official, "Can people with opposing views sit together? The answer is yes."
"I don't know what will happen day by day," he said if the coalition's future. "Each day and week it lasts is a net positive for the State of Israel."
Addressing the government's reliance on the Ra'am party, he said that "Mansour Abbas is pragmatic, I wish everyone was like him, but the optimal situation is that he is in the coalition but the government does not have to rely on him."