Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, head of the far-Right Religious Zionism Party, blasted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant Wednesday after a winery in Judea and Samaria was uprooted at the approval of the government.
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Smotrich demanded he be granted immediate control of the Civil Administration Higher Planning Committee – the Defense Ministry body responsible for authorizing new construction in Judea and Samaria – which he was promised during coalition negotiations with Netanyahu.
Video: Honenu
He accused the prime minister of "dragging his feet '' and Galant of denying the right to the transfer. Smotrich said the promise stood at the core of the coalition negotiations and announced his party would hold an emergency meeting after the move in the Binyamin region north of Jerusalem.
Hundreds of police officers arrived at the settlement on Wednesday morning with bulldozers to uproot the trees of the vineyard that had mostly been evacuated. According to Smotrich, he was aware of the government's plan, but was unable to prevent it as control over the Civil Administration Higher Planning Committee technically still lies with Gallant.
He called the move "an injustice that screams out to Heaven" and other religious lawmakers at the scene even tried to physically prevent the security forces from uprooting the trees, before being removed by the police.
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