Finance Minister and Minister in the Defense Ministry Bezalel Smotrich appealed to Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs demanding that the State's response to the Supreme Court on the issue of the evacuation of the illegal Bedouin outpost of Khan al-Ahmar.
Smotrich claimed that under the coalition agreement between the Likud and Religious Zionism parties, he is required to have a say in the State's response on the issue, and since the current response was written without his input or consultation, the response should be tabled so new discussions can be held with his participation.
It was reported earlier that the State will in its response to the Supreme Court that the petition calling for the evacuation of Khan al-Ahmar should be dismissed. The State will claim that there are negotiations on an agreement to evacuate the illegal outpost and the evacuation of the outpost at this sensitive time could have serious consequences for Israel diplomatically.
Likud MK Danny Danon criticized the state's response and said that "the government's request to dismiss the petition against the lawbreakers in Khan al-Ahmar is a dangerous policy change that gives impetus to the rampage of illegal Palestinian construction in the West Bank. All this at a time when any construction violation by Jews is met with an immediate response."
"I call on the Prime Minister to withdraw the strange response to the Supreme Court and to set a date for the eviction of the illegal settlement. The law in Judea and Samaria cannot be relevant only to Jews," said Danon.
The Regavim movement said in response: "We have not yet received the state's response to the Supreme Court. If indeed this is the response, then this government has no right to exist. Four months after its establishment, it seems that the only policy this government is promoting is a left-wing policy."