Political Storm Erupts Over Calls to Evacuate West Bank Outposts

A political storm has erupted in Israel following statements by Yoram Cohen, the second-highest-ranking official in Benny Gantz's National Unity party, advocating for the evacuation of some farms and settlements. In an interview with Channel 12 News, Cohen stated that certain outposts, established by Minister Bezalel Smotrich, should be dismantled as they were not created under a government decision.

The Likud party swiftly reacted, accusing Gantz of planning to establish a "left-wing government" that would "destroy settlements" and create a "Palestinian state." Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also sharply criticized Cohen's remarks, stating, "For many months I have been warning that a Gantz government will evacuate the settlements and farms we established. Now, Yoram Cohen, a senior official in Gantz's party, is saying it himself."

Smotrich urged the public to "not waste precious votes" and called on Ofer Winter, a former IDF general, to "listen carefully to Yoram Cohen's serious words and understand the gravity of the hour." Smotrich implied that Cohen's statements confirmed his warnings about the potential policies of a Gantz-led government concerning Israeli settlements.