Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked on Friday said that she was prepared to leave the government in the event it accedes to a Washington request to suspend construction projects in Judea and Samaria.
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Shaked's statement was made in an interview right-wing publication Makor Rishon following reports that fellow Yamina party member Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has apparently slowed the approval process for new housing projects in Judea and Samaria because of American pressure.
Bennett has reportedly refused to let the Civil Administration Zoning Committee schedule a routine meeting for the approval of construction plans.
"If the government does something fraught with what I believe are grave ideological implications, I won't be a part of it. For example, if the US demands a freeze on building in Judea and Samaria – then there will be no government," she said.
This is seen as a remote possibility, as Bennett, Shaked's long-time political associate, has been closely associated with the settler movement since before the beginning of his political career.
The Yesha Council, the umbrella organization of Jewish localities in Judea and Samaria, was enraged by the reports, saying in a statement that the situation "most concerning."
"In recent years, the status quo, in which the Higher Zoning Committee meets every three months and in which plans across all settlements were approved, has been maintained. Out of concern for the future of the settlement enterprise, we view this issue as of utmost importance to residents' lives and the development of [local] authorities in the region. Immediately upon Prime Minister Naftali Bennett entering office, we contacted him … on this matter. We have our hand on the pulse and are monitoring the issue daily," the council said.
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