Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his pledge on Wednesday not to forcefully evict Israelis from settlements in Judea and Samaria.
"Not a single community be uprooted, nor will I force out a single settler," Netanyahu said during a visit to Gush Etzion, a settlement bloc just south of Jerusalem.
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Netanyahu was scheduled to meet with US President Donald Trump's Senior Strategic Adviser Jared Kushner on Wednesday. Kushner was sent to the region to promote the economic component of the administration's peace plan, which was revealed in late June.
Speaking in Efrat, a major Jewish community in Gush Etzion, Netanyahu said: "This is a place where one can see the past, observe the present and look into the future. We will not let a single community be uprooted, and Efrat will continue to thrive and build for eternity. Efrat and Gush Etzion are the gateway to Jerusalem. We withstood enormous pressure from the international community, and we did so because we were smart and acted together."
Netanyahu warned that if the Likud did not emerge victorious after the Sept. 17 election, the gains made in the settlement enterprise would be reversed. "It's us or them. There is the Left's way and there is our way, which transformed this country and built this land," Netanyahu said. "The only way to ensure the Right will continue to lead is to vote Likud and make it big. Only a big Likud can prevent a left-wing government and ensure a great future for the state of Israel."
