Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday that he would soon be promoting a plan to build more than 3,000 new housing units, as well as new industrial zones, in Judea and Samaria. The plan is expected to be laid before the Higher Planning Committee for approval sometime in the next two weeks.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu canceled a meeting of an inter-ministerial team that was deliberating the annexation of the Jordan Valley following the International Criminal Court's (ICC) decision to launch a probe into alleged Israeli "war crimes" against the Palestinians, Ynet reported on Tuesday.
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The meeting was supposed to take place over the past weekend but was canceled at the last minute after ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda announced the plans on Friday for the broad investigation against Israel, said sources quoted in the report.
In other news from the Likud, which is scheduled to hold party elections to choose its new leader on Thursday, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan came out in support of Netanyahu for the first time on Tuesday.
In a message he posted on Facebook, Erdan wrote, "As a member of the Diplomatic-Security cabinet, I am very familiar with all the challenges we are facing, and after considering everything, I have concluded that the prime minister is the best person to lead the nation."
Netanyahu devoted Tuesday to public appearances throughout the country, where he spoke to and met with Likud activists. At an event in Or Yehuda, Netanyahu voiced harsh criticism of the Israeli media.
"I am not the media's candidate," he said.
"They [the media] want to lull you to sleep so you won't go out and vote. They say there is no chance of [Likud] winning the general election, but these past few days, we have been feeling something immense. Likud areas are on fire. Next time, it will look different."
Netanyahu discussed Blue and White leader Benny Gantz, saying sarcastically, "He has a problem. He says, 'I can't sit in a government with Bibi. He can sit with [Arab MK Ahmad] Tibi, but not with Bibi. I say to him, 'We'll manage without you.' We will put together a national Likud government."
Meanwhile, Netanyahu's camp dismissed an idea his rival for the leadership of the Likud, MK Gideon Sa'ar, raised on Monday, whereby Sa'ar – after being elected prime minister – would work to appoint Netanyahu president of Israel.
Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev, speaking at Or Yehuda, dismissed the proposal as "arrogance" and "embarrassing."
MK Yoav Kisch, who is heading Sa'ar's campaign for head of the Likud, told Israel Hayom on Tuesday that "Gideon Sa'ar is out there, Netanyahu is out there. We haven't had this for a long time. In the primaries for the party list there are personal battles, but here there is a real fight for the leadership."
Kisch said he thinks that despite Netanyahu's powerful position, Sa'ar has a chance.
"Thursday could see any result. It's uncertain what will happen, especially given the decision not to allow voting in every city and the impending stormy weather. It's all open," he said.
"The voters will decide whether the Likud will lead the next government under Sa'ar, with Netanyahu as president, or whether we will be the leaders of the opposition," he added.
