Benjamin Netanyahu: We will not hand over even ‘one meter’ of land

Israel is not planning to unilaterally hand over portions of Area C in the West Bank to the Palestinian Authority, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Likud ministers on Sunday.

 

“There won’t be any transfer of territory to the Palestinians, not 40,000 [dunams or 10,000 acres], not 10,000 and not even one meter,” Netanyahu said on Sunday.

 

He spoke after Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan publicly charged that the Office of the Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories and the Civil Administration is continuing work on a plan to transfer 10,000 dunams of territory in Area C to the Palestinian Authority.

 

But Netanyahu told the Likud ministers that he would not execute any such plan.

 

Likud ministers Ophir Akunis, Ze’ev Elkin, Haim Katz, Israel Katz and Miri Regev raised the issue with Netanyahu at the weekly cabinet meeting.

 

“It’s a delusional idea,” said Akunis.

 

“Together with the international community, we have to demand that the Palestinians fight terrorism and stop the incitement against our forces and our citizens. That is what is required and not the transfer of territory,” Akunis said after the meeting.

 

The West Bank is divided into three areas: Areas A and B are under the PA’s civil control, and Area C, which makes up 60 percent of the West Bank, not including east Jerusalem, is under Israeli military and civil control.

 

It is presumed that any final-status agreement for a two-state solution to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict would involve the transfer of portions of Area C to the Palestinians.

 

Read More: Benjamin Netanyahu: We will not hand over even ‘one meter’ of land – Israel News – Jerusalem Post