Former Education Minister Naftali Bennett (New Right) criticized the Netanyahu government Monday, accusing it of failing to act against massive land grabs by Palestinian Authority residents in Judea and Samaria. “The Palestinian Authority is stealing Israel’s land. And unfortunately, the Israeli government is doing nothing to stop it,” Bennett told Arutz Sheva . “Over the past decade, the PA has taken over double the amount in the Israeli-controlled areas in Judea and Samaria. There is a land grab going on, and we’re not doing anything. This will be one of the HaYamin HaHadash’s [New Right] main issues, to stop the land grab and restore Israel’s land.” Earlier this month, Bennett made similar comments, hitting the Israeli government over its failure to prevent the massive expansion of illegal Arab construction in Area C – the portions of Judea and Samaria directly administered by Israel. The Palestinians are stealing our country’s territory and the government is doing nothing. It is just terrible,” said Bennett. Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas and the PA are “rushing forward with plans to effectively take over land in Judea and Samaria,” continued Bennett, “land that is under Israeli control in Area C, in order to create a Palestinian state. They are creating facts on the ground.” Bennett spoke out days after the watchdog group Regavim, which monitors illegal construction in the Arab sector, published a report which found that the number of illegal Arab structures in Area C, and the amount of land taken by Arab squatters, had doubled since Netanyahu took office a decade ago.
