Transportation Minister Merav Michaeli said Saturday that it would be a "shame" to invest in transportation in Judea and Samaria, also known as the West Bank, as she believes the area will not be part of Israel in the future.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
During an audience exchange at Channel 12, Michaeli, who also heads the Labor Party, was asked why she "froze all the transportation planning" in Judea and Samaria, to which she responded, "I didn't stop anything that was already in progress."
"I didn't release new things, that's true. Because I think it's a shame to invest in a place that in the end... it won't be part of the sovereign state of Israel."
The audience member replied, "But right now, there are residents there. Israeli residents, like you and me, who want to receive service like every other Israeli citizen receives – and there is no reason to deprive them."
Michaeli clarified, "There was no deprivation. In terms of the basket of resources, the south and the north were much more deprived."
Shlomo Neeman, head of the Yesha Council in Judea and Samaria, accused Michaeli of halting work on vital areas in the region that serves both Israelis and Palestinians, and that he hoped a right-wing government would take power after the elections.
"On Nov. 1st, a government will be elected that believes in our right to this land and nothing less than the fact that, unlike you [Michaeli], it will take care of the citizens of Israel in every corner of the country," he said.
Michaeli doubled down on her comments on Twitter later on Sunday, saying, "The budget of government ministries is a limited resource. When one project is promoted it is always at the expense of another.
"After years of favoring projects in [Judea and Samaria] by ministers from the settler lobby, I diverted budgets to the peripheral settlements, in the south, in the north, and also to the Arab cities. I took care of underprivileged cities within the green line and I am very proud of that," she said.
Michaeli previously made waves by promising to run the Tel Aviv light rail on Shabbat, a decision that was bashed by politicians from religious parties.
This article was first published by i24NEWS.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
