Likud Officials Demand Minister's Dismissal Over Settlement Policy

Dozens of Likud Central Committee members and mayors have sent a sharp letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanding the immediate dismissal of Housing and Construction Minister Haim Katz. The demand stems from Katz's recent attempt to remove Yehuda Eliyahu from his position as head of the Israel Land Authority.

According to the signatories, Katz's actions harm national goals, including strengthening settlements, development, and construction in the Negev, Galilee, and Judea and Samaria. They stated that instead of accelerating development in core areas of Israel, his conduct is "scandalous" and directly damages the settlement enterprise.

The letter warns of severe political repercussions if Katz remains in his critical role, arguing it erodes public trust in the Likud party. The signatories believe that remaining silent on this matter will exact a heavy electoral price in upcoming elections.

They explicitly called on Netanyahu to return the Ministry of Housing and Construction to "hands loyal to the movement's values" and to dismiss Katz without delay. The group emphasized that the damage has already been done by the mere attempt to remove Eliyahu, regardless of whether the dismissal ultimately succeeds.