A disagreement erupted during Wednesday night’s Diplomatic-Security Cabinet meeting between National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth.
The dispute centered on the development of farms and Jewish settlement activity in Areas A and B of Judea and Samaria, and the international repercussions for Israel.
Under the Oslo Accords, Judea and Samaria were divided into three areas: Area A under full Palestinian Authority (PA) military and civil control; Area B under Israeli military control and Palestinian Authority civil control; and Area C under full Israeli military and civil control. While Arabs live in all three areas, Jews are limited to Area C only, and entering Area A is both a crime and a serious risk to the Jew's life.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority has quietly built an army out of the "police force" allowed to them under the Oslo Accords, presenting a real and tangible threat to nearby Israeli communities, including large cities such as Modi'in, Kfar Saba, and Jerusalem. PA elected officials also support and incite terrorism, and the PA itself pays salaries to terrorists and their families.
During the discussion, Bluth presented photos showing MK Limor Son Har-Melech (Otzma Yehudit) and Heritage Minister Amichai Chikli (Likud) visiting outposts. He criticized the presence of elected officials at such sites, saying: "Look, they come to offer support to these youths and give them legitimacy."
Prime Minister Netanyahu backed the military’s position and voiced strong opposition to settlement activity in Areas A and B. "We are receiving sanctions from the Europeans because of these things," Netanyahu said. “I understand the ideological sentiment, but I agree with Avi [Bluth]. We are expanding settlement, but why in Areas A and B?"
Ben Gvir pushed back sharply, arguing that international sanctions are not tied to specific settlement actions but stem from broader hostility toward Israel.
"The sanctions are not because of settlement, they are because the Europeans hate Israel," he said. He noted that sanctions had also been imposed over the ground operation in Gaza and military activity in Lebanon. "They are looking for every reason to condemn us. They even condemned the death penalty law for terrorists."
Ben Gvir called on Israel to stop taking foreign opinion into account and stressed that there is nothing wrong with ministers and MKs making supportive visits to outposts.