Religious Zionism Party Chairman Betzalel Smotrich, toured Achiya in Binyamin with Regional Council head Yisrael Gantz, and the candidates of Religious Zionism, Michal Waldiger, Simcha Rottman, Orit Struck, Racheli Zinkin, Ainao Sanbato, and Eliyahu Atiya. The party members met residents of the young localities Achiya and Aish Kodesh, who demanded a clear promise regarding settlement with formation of the next government, after the current government refused to approve regulating the localities. During a tour and meeting with representatives of young settlement, party Chairman MK Smotrich stated that as part of coalition agreements, the party would demand that the government immediately approve the proposal for settlement that was not approved about a month ago, and at the same time approve in government budgeting for a new administration to regulate settlement, similar to the existing one for the Bedouin in the Negev. Along with establishing an administration that will be entrusted with regulating settlement, the party will demand as part of coalition agreements closing the Civil Administration and subordinating responsibility for serving Judea and Samaria residents to government ministries instead of military administration and the IDF Central Region Commander. "Residents of Judea and Samaria are not second-class citizens," said Smotrich. "In recent months, Minister Gantz has been torpedoing regulating young settlements for political and campaign reasons. Israeli citizens aren't political tools. The heroic settlers are equal citizens without equal rights. Electricity, water, infrastructure aren't luxuries but a basic right. Arranging settlement is a task of paramount importance and we are committed to addressing it from the very first days of the Right-leaning government that will be formed." Binyamin Regional Council head Yisrael Gantz: "There are localities here that are decades old. The State of Israel gave a hand in establishing them and has since abandoned them. There are no connections to basic infrastructure here. This is an illogical reality and the State of Israel must not be confused enough to see these heroes as thieves at night. I saw how the Prime Minister acted to get the approval of the government decision and I helped him with that, but unfortunately Benny Gantz prevented it at the last minute. "In order for the settlements to move forward, one should not be ashamed to say that sovereignty should also be applied to this area. Young settlement mustn't be held hostage. It's time to regulate settlement through a strong Rightist government," Gantz added.
