Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich warned on Sunday that the Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria would be endangered if the opposition came to power in the Oct. 27 national elections. He pointed to comments on Saturday by former Shin Bet chief Yoram Cohen that some recently established Jewish sites in the region could be dismantled.
Appearing on Saturday night on Channel 12’s “Meet the Press,” Cohen, who is No. 2 on the Yashar Party list, led by former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, said, “What was built by the government according to a government decision and it’s legal—I’m in favor of it, and with continuing it going forward.” But, he said, “What is illegal or not built with a government decision in advance and according to planning—I am against.”
Speaking of construction that Smotrich helped advance, Cohen said, “I’m not sure that everything he built was according to government decision. We have to look into it.”
Writing on X, Smotrich responded, “For long months now, I have been warning that the Eisenkot government will evacuate the settlements and farms we established. Now, Yoram Cohen, a senior figure in the Eisenkot party, is saying it in his own voice.
“The only way to ensure this disaster doesn’t happen is for the Right not to waste precious votes,” said Smotrich, using the opportunity to repeat his warning of recent days that smaller right-wing parties must unite to avoid wasting votes.
The Israeli right is splintered among a raft of small parties and votes for parties that don’t pass the 3.25% electoral threshold are not counted. Smotrich united his Religious Zionism Party with the Zehut Party, led by Moshe Feiglin, on Sept. 1.
“I call on Ofer Winter to listen carefully to Yoram Cohen’s serious words and understand the magnitude of the moment. If Winter runs alone, the settlements we established are in danger. If he takes responsibility and unifies as the public wants—God willing, we will win. Time for unity and responsibility in the national camp,” Smotrich said, appealing to Winter, who recently announced a new party, Amcha Yisrael (“People of Israel”).
Netanyahu also has warned that splinter parties could cost the right the election by “burning” votes. On Aug. 24, he cautioned that if the opposition comes to power it would mean the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Cohen addressed this claim in his interview, saying Netanyahu was engaging in fear-mongering.
“First of all, Eisenkot never spoke about two states for two peoples,” Cohen said. “Personally, I have stated several times before I entered politics, at a conference in Sderot and elsewhere, that I think that a Palestinian state: 1) is a security threat to the State of Israel, and therefore I reject it; 2) I personally think that at the moment talking about a Palestinian state is not realistic for any of the parties in the State of Israel.”
