The Right must rid itself of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if it wants to see West Bank settlements annexed to Israel, Yisrael Beytenu head Avigdor Liberman said on Sunday during a visit to the Har Bracha settlement.
“Nothing will happen unless the Right openly opposes Netanyahu," Liberman said at a press conference with settler leaders including Yesha Council head David Elhayani and Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan.
“If you want something to happen, you must protest,” Liberman stated, adding that “the Right must free itself of Netanyahu” due to his agreement with the US to suspend annexation in favor of a deal with the United Arab Emirates.
Liberman supports the deal and annexation.
“All those who tell stories that sovereignty is still on the table, are simply lying," he said.
“We have to acknowledge that we have missed this opportunity, and we do not know when it will return," Liberman added.
During the last election cycles, Liberman received very little support from the settlers, who gave their votes to the Likud and then to Yamina.
But on Sunday, he seized the political opportunity provided by Netanyahu’s decision to suspend sovereignty, with a show of solidarity for the settler leaders.
He added his voice to theirs, in particular, with regard to the issue of a de-facto freeze on planning for new settler homes. Right-wing politicians and settler leaders have called on Netanyahu to convene a meeting of the Higher Planning Council for Judea and Samaria, which last met in February. They have argued that the lack of meetings is proof that there is a silent freeze with regard to planning.
He said that to date, plans for only about 2,000 units had been advanced, adding that it was just a fraction of what he had advanced as defense minister.
The freeze, according to Liberman, includes homes for a new neighborhood named for terror victim Itamar Ben-Gal, 29, a father of four who was killed in a stabbing attack outside the Ariel settlement.
“We have to focus now on strengthening the settlements,” which act as the defensive flack jacket for Jerusalem and the center of the country.
Liberman's Yisrael Beytenu Party, along with Yamina, are not part of the current coalition. Netanyahu has often spoken of himself as the leader of the Right, but Liberman disputes that self-description.
“There is no connection between a government led by Netanyahu and a right-wing government. If there is a right-wing government I am happy to join it," Liberman said.
He told The Jerusalem Post that he would support private member bills with regard to sovereignty, should they come to a vote in the Knesset. He noted that his party has also filed such a bill. "The moment the question of sovereignty comes to the Knesset, we will vote for it," he said.