(February 5, 2019 / JNS) Dozens of ministers and senior lawmakers from the Likud and other right-wing parties have signed a Nahala movement petition to promote a settlement plan introduced under the government of late Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, Israel Hayom has learned. The objective: to settle 2 million Jews in Judea and Samaria.
If adopted, the settlement plan would see a significant shift in government policies—from construction inside existing settlements to establishing new Jewish settlements throughout all of the territory in Judea and Samaria.
For the past two weeks, Nahala activists have protested outside of the official Prime Mminister’s Residence in Jerusalem, demanding that the next government work towards the settlement of all of Judea and Samaria, and put an end to the idea of a two-state solution.
Among members of the Likud who have signed the declaration are Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz, Tourism Minister Yariv Levin, Environmental Protection and Jerusalem Affairs Minister Ze’ev Elkin, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, Culture Minister Miri Regev, Regional Cooperation Minister Tzachi Hanegbi, Communication Minister Ayoub Kara, Immigration and Absorption Minister Yoav Gallant, Social Equality Minister Gila Gamliel, and Science and Technology Minister Ofir Akunis.
Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and Education Minister Naftali Bennett, both of the New Right Party, also signed the petition.
The Nahala movement’s declaration reads: “I hereby commit to be loyal to the land of Israel, not to cede one inch of our inheritance from our forefathers. I hereby commit to act to realize the settlement plan for the settlement of 2 million Jews in Judea and Samaria in accordance with Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir’s plan, as well as to encourage and lead the redemption of all the lands throughout Judea and Samaria. I commit to act to cancel the declaration of two states for two peoples and replace it with the stately declaration: ‘The land of Israel: One country for one people.’ ”
In a statement, the Nahala movement said “the signing of the petition opposite the Prime Minister’s Residence at the height of the Likud primary election campaign and at the height of the efforts to compile the [Knesset] lists in the right-wing and center bloc and in particular ahead of the coming election campaigns constitutes an ideological and ethical loyalty test for the various contenders.”
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