Netanyahu warned: Unfreeze settlement expansion or we'll destabalise coalition

Naftali Bennett, leader of the Jewish Home party, yesterday warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his party will destabalise the coalition government if the premier doesn’t expedite settlement construction in the West Bank.

Haaretz newspaper, which reported the news today, said: “Economy Minister Naftali Bennett and Housing and Construction Minister Uri Ariel met with Netanyahu Wednesday and asked for clarifications regarding construction in the settlements, which they say has been essentially frozen over the past five months.”

It quoted an informed source as saying that Bennett and Ariel had given Netanyahu until Monday to respond, the date of the opening of the winter session.

The Knesset is due to hold a vote of no confidence in the government on Monday. Bennett has threatened that his party’s ministers will be absent from the vote if settlement expansion is not restarted.