Gantz: Homesh Yeshiva Illegal, but a Murder was Committed There

Defense Minister responds to questions on Homesh yeshiva: ‘We will have to act with sensitivity based on the complexity of the matter.’

By: INN Staff

Defense Minister Benny Gantz was asked at the start if the weekly Blue and White faction meeting Monday afternoon about the State’s response to the Supreme Court following the left-wing petition to force the government to evacuate the Homesh yeshiva.

Gantz said that “the Homesh yeshiva has been evacuated dozens of times over the years, on the one hand the yeshiva in the place is illegal, on the other hand a murder has taken place. We will have to act with sensitivity based on the complexity of the matter.”

The Defense Minister also referred to the increase in the salaries of IDF soldiers starting tomorrow: “We are working for the soldiers, who serve at the borders and in the hospitals, on duty, permanently and in the reserves, all the time. That is why, together with the Finance Minister and the Prime Minister, we have mobilized the resources to increase the subsistence allowance of conscripts by 50% starting tomorrow, this is the right and valuable step and I am proud to lead this move.”

On the subject of the Draft Law, Gantz said, “We will present the Draft Law today for its first reading, which will be a bridge to the overall outline and the government’s decision to establish a team that will formulate the service outline. There are a number of other moves that we have committed to in order to strengthen and fortify the IDF–anchoring a scholarship for studies, postponing the shortening of service, updating reserve benefits and adjusting service periods for IDF retirees.”

“In this context, I emphasize again, we are not adding any budget, but reducing costs, taking care to recruit more soldiers, and regulate a situation that has existed since the 1960s. I will insist that all government laws and decisions we have reached be respected,” the defense minister said.

It was previously reported that on January 27th, activists created a human chain stretching from the Knesset to the Western Wall, as they demonstrated in support of the demolished town of Homesh in northern Samaria.

MK Orit Strock, chair of the Religious Zionism faction in the Knesset, wrote, “There is no doubt: Loyalty to Homesh, the determination to fight for it, is the inheritance of the entire right-wing.”

“Just like the Arabs know why they want to chase us out of there, we also know very well why we will not compromise in any way.

“Members of Yamina and New Hope have no choice other than to choose if they are going to take the path of Yair Golan (Meretz) and [former Prime Minister] Ariel Sharon. If they decide to do so–they will come face-to-face with an enormous and determined public.”

  (INN)