(A7)Politicians and settlement leaders spoke at a right-wing rally in front of the Prime Minister’s Residence Thursday evening.
Thousands of people joined the protest to demand that the government not destroy the Homesh yeshiva and that the government regulate the ‘young settlements’ in Judea and Samaria.
Religious Zionism party chairman Bezalel Smotrich said at the demonstration: “The Negev is a test for the people of Israel and Homesh is a test for the people of Israel. A government that rewards terrorism is a dangerous government for the State of Israel. A government that is entirely backed by terrorism. We warned about this at the formation of this government and today we see the results.”
“Bennett and his friends abandoned the State of Israel, only yesterday they decided to eliminate the planting in the Negev following the Bedouin violence and eliminate the Homesh yeshiva in response to the horrific murder of Yehuda Dimmentman. You, the amazing public here, you who came to protest against the injustices of the government, you are the future and you will determine the future ‘
Smotrich added: “We will unite everyone, the whole national camp together and say with a loud voice: enough. Together we will return the flag of Zionism to the forefront, together, we will overthrow this evil government and form a national, Zionist, Jewish government. Together we will win.”
Samaria Regional Council Chairman Yossi Dagan said at the demonstration: “This struggle, just as it is for Homesh, is also for the Negev and for the whole of the Land of Israel. This disgrace that on the day the government approves the law of connecting electricity to the Bedouin outposts that take over the Negev lands, the government cuts off the electricity and destroys houses in Homesh is a shame and a failure of values. This lawlessness cannot continue.”
Dagan declared that “because of Homesh and the Negev this government will fall, the people of Israel want Judea and Samaria built, the young settlements, the Negev under the control of the State of Israel, and the people of Israel want Homesh built.”
Beit El Mayor Shai Alon said: “We have reached the breaking point in relation to the government. We have waited and examined the government according to their deeds and the result is a disgraceful failure. There is no other path but to get what we deserve the hard way.”
Gush Etzion Council chairman Shlomo Ne’eman said that “if the Israeli government is all anxious about the rule of law, it would be good for it to focus on dealing with the chaos in the Negev and a well-timed Arab attack on national assets in Area C. It is easiest to deal with the settlers, because the IDF, this country and its laws are very dear to us. The cynical exploitation of our loyalty to the state will not succeed for you, we will stand firm on the values on which we grew up, not only for ourselves but also for all those you have turned your back on.”
